The Soul and The Flesh
by KamiSama
Summary: A retelling of DBZ, with a new character and new situations...
1. Part I

The Soul And The Flesh Part I When it was almost over, he finally asked her how it had started. She had to stop and think, to get it straight in her mind. After so many years, she wanted to get it right. "Well, like so many other stories, it started with death…my death…" She started. His huge black eyes widened in surprise. She nodded. "If I hadn't died in my old life, the "Last Dimension" I couldn't be here. My death. I still can't really remember it…" 

The sun was shining, and she had been daydreaming instead of paying attention as her friends drove. So when to crash happened, she never knew what hit her. One minute she was alive, the next, a truck had destroyed the car. And her too…  


The next thing she did know, she felt a warm breeze on her face, her whole body. She opened her eyes, and realized she was flying…As soon as she thought of it; she stopped flying and began to fall towards the ocean below.  


"Oh no, I was flying, gotta keep flying!" She called to herself, and closed her eyes again fearfully. She stopped falling and hovered shakily, until she found the knowledge of how to fly in her mind. Of course! It was so simple! But she wondered; why hadn't she had this ability before… whatever it was had happened? Something had changed inside her, she felt so different. Was she dead? Her eyes snapped open again at the thought. She was still hovering over the ocean, and she appeared to have a solid body. She took a few deep breaths to be sure. The air was predictably salty, and warmly soothing.  


"Well, I feel alive, and I can fly, so, I'll just fly until something happens." She thought she saw an island in the distance and headed for it, for lack of any other place to go. She refused to think of the strangeness on all of this; it was almost as if she were in shock. She began to enjoy the flight; then as she drew near, she realized that the island was not only closer than her first estimate, but also impossibly tiny to boot. She could see a house on this island, but it made no sense, because no one would live on such a tiny island. The ocean was barely 100 feet from the house in any direction. She paused, and hovered as she looked down at the small pink building. It looked oddly familiar to her for some reason. She dropped down to the pure white sand, and stared at the clapboard walls, as a dim memory clawed its way to the surface of her mind.  


"It's the Turtle Hut, but that's impossible…" She whispered as a chill washed over her. She did know the place, but from a comic book from Japan, a Manga, that she had enjoyed a while ago. This couldn't possibly be real. Of course, she was suddenly able to fly too, so why not find herself in a place from a comic book? She took a deep breath. What was happening here?  


Just then, a strand of crimson red hair blew into her eyes. Red? Her hair was boring old brown, how could her hair have turned red? She looked down at her body, and instantly realized that she was now much shorter than her usual 5' 7". This was getting stranger by the minute. She shook her head and decided to see if the old man who lived in the Kame House was real too. Maybe she was dreaming.  


She went around the side of the house, and stopped dead at the sight of a tall person peeking around the building at the beach in front of the house. His back to her, he didn't seem to realize she was there, but with a renewed shock, she recognized him all too well.  


Even with his back turned, there was no mistaking Piccolo for anyone else in creation. He wore a long white cloak and turban, and she could see that his skin was a rich green. She backed away, almost ready to fly off (if she could remember how, that is), but she was also very curious as well. What was he watching on the beach? She felt disoriented, dizzy. She wanted to believe that she was really there, and the only way to prove that to herself was to go look at the beach herself and see if what she thought was going to be there was there after all. Only then would she attempt to figure out this impossible twist of fate, or whatever it was.  


Nervous, she walked slowly around the building, and then she stopped. She was feeling something, a strange sensation in her belly and in her head, all at once. It made her feel like she was in some sort of danger, rather like an intuition of doom. Then, a face appeared in her mind, a cruel but not unhandsome man's face. His eyes were narrowed with malice, and his mouth twisted in a vicious smile.  


"Raditz!" She gasped. This couldn't be, she knew that face! She ran around the side of the house, and saw someone flying off at incredible speed. She froze in amazement at the sight of someone flying, completely forgetting her own flight of moments before, and then focused on the beach, and the small group of people gathered there. She closed her eyes, and felt faint. This was just not possible! What was going on here…unless she was dreaming this…?  


But, she didn't feel like she was dreaming, she felt wide-awake and scared. Still, she had to go out on the beach, and talk to those people, didn't she? She had to figure this out; she sighed deeply, and peeked at them again, looking at each person closely, remembering each of their names.  


There was Muten Roshi, the master of the island, and the founder of the Kame-sen'nin school of Martial Arts. He was an old man with a white beard, who was never seen without his sunglasses. His apparent age was misleading, as he was unaging and surprisingly strong as well.  


Then there was one of his students, Kurilin, who was a Shaolin Monk; complete with shaved head and the sacred markings on his forehead. He was very short, but very strong, and a fierce fighter. He was also kind of cute, even though he was lacking a normal nose.  


The one woman of the group was Bulma, a beautiful blue haired woman with a tall slender frame, and a razor sharp tongue. She was very intelligent, a technological genius who's family owned one of the most successful businesses of this world. She was bent over a man who was kneeling, crouching in the surf.  


Of all of this, of all the faces, this man's face was the most familiar. His face was twisted with grief and pain, but she felt the familiarity in her soul. She dashed out to the group blindly, forgetting all caution. The people made way for her, too startled to stop her.  


"Goku!" She gasped as she knelt in front of him, grabbing his shoulders. He looked up at her, his black eyes wide with surprise. They stared at each other, amazed.  


"I know you don't I? Your name is Raimi…" Goku said, his soft voice pleasant even in his agitated state. He reached up and took one of her hands in his. "Why… how do I know you?"  


"I don't know! I don't know how, but I know you too, Goku…" She said, oblivious to the stares of the others. Goku didn't move, but peered intently at her, brow furrowed in pain and frustration. She looked at him, and realized that he was actually in the water. "Come on, Goku." He slowly stood with her and Bulma's help, and they led him to the steps of the house, where he sat dejectedly.  


"Uh, Goku, who is this girl?" Kurilin asked bluntly, suspicious of her, especially since she had appeared hard on the nasty Raditz's heels. Raditz had just shown up, threatened them, attacked Goku, and kidnapped Goku's son, Gohan. He had also revealed that Goku was his little brother, making Goku an extraterrestrial. Goku was helpless to stop him, which was very surprising. Goku was the strongest person on the planet, and had rarely if ever been beaten by anyone. Now he was battered and scared for his small son, who was only four years old. And to add to the day's weirdness, this girl showed up and she was…  


"Hey, she has a tail too!" Bulma squealed in terror. Raditz had a tail, as did all people of his and Goku's race. So, that meant that this Raimi was one of his kind, and not human. "She must be here with him, to help him kill us, or something!" Bulma said, backing away, terrified.  


"I…No, I'd never…" The girl said, looking down at the furry appendage with as much suspicion as Bulma was. It rested around her waist like a furry belt. She looked faint, and sank to her knees in front of Goku. "But that means…"  


"That you're a Saiyan too, like Raditz, and Me." Goku said, without much surprise. "Yeah, you said we had to be aliens, no one else in the whole world had a tail." Goku peered closer at her. "You don't remember?"  


"No! I don't! I'm not from this world at all! I was just sitting in my friends car, and then…Poof, I'm here, and I'm flying, and I'm a…a…Saiyan! This is not real! It can't be. That's it, I'm dreaming. Yeah!" She hugged herself, and nodded as she talked to herself. "I am dreaming. Maybe I'm in a coma or something, but this is definitely not…Ouch!" Goku had pinched her quite painfully. He smiled in apology.  


"Uh, let's get this straight, Okay. I'm not the greatest with my brain, but…you think I'm not, that we're not real? Because you were in a car that crashed?" Goku asked slowly. She stared at him, rubbing the offended spot. She nodded. "So, you think you're dreaming."  


"Well, yes. In the real world, this is all a comic book, well Manga actually, but…See I have to be dreaming. I was a human being only a few minutes ago. Now, I'm a Saiyan, complete with tail, and supposedly super strength and the ability to transform and all that. Sure." Raimi laughed. "Here, feel my grip," She took his hand and squeezed it. "See? If I was a Saiyan, I'd be able to make even you feel that."  


"See what? That's some grip. Tell her Kurilin." Goku grunted. His friend gulped and came over. He held out his small strong hand to Raimi, who took it and squeezed heartily.  


"Yeow!" Kurilin yelled and yanked his hand free. Her hand had left it mark in lurid red, and had left his fingertips white and bloodless. She stared, shocked. This was insane.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, but…I…"  


"You are very strong, we all can feel it." Roshi said. She looked up at him, wishing she could see his eyes through his glasses.  


"I am? You mean…this is all real? But then who am I really? And how do we know each other Goku?" Raimi said, the possibility of this strange turn of events truly being real finally setting in. She went pale, and stared up into Goku's kind but worried face. Suddenly she felt awful. Here he had huge problems of his own, but he was trying to help her first. She concentrated, trying to remember the story she had read some time ago.  


"Well, let's put this problem aside for now. We have to get Gohan back first. You are gonna have to think of a plan for attacking Raditz, and soon." Raimi said firmly. She stood up, putting her fear and confusion aside, at least for now. Goku looked up at her and nodded his agreement. The others did the same, all be it uneasily.  



	2. Part II

The Soul and The Flesh Part II "So what are you gonna do?" Kurilin said to Goku. "And how does she know what just happened? This is so strange…"  
"…His tail. His weakness is his tail. And if he has the same weakness I had, then…all I have to do is crush it, and his power will drop." Goku said grimly, ignoring the question. They would have to get the answers later, if there was time.  


"That's great but how will you get to it? I guarantee that he guards it closely." Raimi said. Goku nodded, and laughed mirthlessly.  


"I can't. That is, not by myself." He said, his eyes resting on Kurilin. Kurilin gulped nervously.  
"Now we're talkin'! Don' you worry son, we'll help th' best we can." Master Roshi declared. He seemed eager for the fray.  


"Course, no one knows the whereabouts of Tenshinhan or Yamcha, but if the three of us fight together…" Kurilin said, then whispered, "We're all gonna die." Then he turned to Bulma, and smiled.  


"But, hey! If we all buy it, Bulma can use the Dragonballs to bring us back, right?" Bulma nodded. The Mystical Dragonballs, all seven of which were scattered across the Earth, could indeed be used to revive the dead if one wished for it.  


"Don't mention it!" Bulma said. Raimi smiled sadly at this. She knew the truth was not so inspiring. Sure enough, Goku stopped them.  


"No, Kurilin, she can't. I found out that Shenlong never grants the same wish twice…and you and Master Roshi have already been brought back to life. This time, death means death for real!" Goku told them. They stared silently at him, once again worried.  


"I, uh…wow…really?" Kurilin said finally.  
You'll still help me though, right?" Goku asked.  


"Of course we will, eh Kurilin?" Roshi said.  


"S-sure, w-wi-without a m-muh-moment's doubt!" Kurilin reluctantly stuttered.  


"Hey! Speaking of Dragonballs, how's this for an idea? Why don't we get all seven, and tell Shenlong to save the world, or something?" Bulma asked, feeling clever, especially when Kurilin called her a genius.  


"Uh, excuse me, but, you can't gather them all in one day. And didn't Gohan have one with him? Raditz won't just let you drop by and get it, you know." Raimi pointed out. Bulma glared at her.  


"And how could you know all that, huh? I'm not sure if we should trust you at all." Bulma snapped.  


"I told you, I read, and watched all of this a long time ago, so I know some of this. But, some of the details are not too fresh in my mind." Raimi snapped back, not concerned with their trust. Goku raised a hand.  


"I'm telling you guys we can trust her, Okay? I know her somehow. So please, let's listen to her advice when it's offered. Now then. He won't be expecting an attack. We should be able to catch him off guard, no problem. Bulma, you still carry the Dragonball radar?" Goku said, ready to go. They all gathered around and looked at it, then sighed with relief when the readout showed Gohan's ball moving then stopping, still on Earth, but far to the west. "Great! We may even have a chance of winning this thing!"  


"Not much of a chance, but…" Kurilin said.  
"Always better t' die feelin' optimistic, or so I always say…" Roshi mumbled, bracing for battle. Goku was itching to leave right then, to find Raditz and save Gohan.  


"Patience, Goku. Raditz isn't going to leave just yet. He doesn't really want Gohan, he wants you. He wants to kill you, especially since you are a traitor to the Saiyan race." Raimi said as she peered at the screen of the Dragon-radar, amazed. This was a legendary item to the fans of this story, almost like a holy relic. She was oblivious to the amazed and worried stares of the others at her words.  


"It won't do you any good, you are all too weak." The new voice was raspy and angry. Piccolo had just revealed himself, stepping out from behind the house.  


Raimi turned and looked closely at him, since she hadn't done so before, amazed at how Piccolo looked as a real, flesh and blood being. He was tall, taller than Goku, and powerfully built, with green skin, no hair, and antennae, (which were covered by his turban at the moment). His ears were large and pointed, and his arms and legs had large areas of pink skin, with a different texture than the rest of his skin seemed to have. He was dressed for the desert, and was actually kind of attractive, in an alien sort of way. How could anyone not realize that this man was from another planet?  


"Gah! It is Piccolo!" Roshi gasped. Bulma and Kurilin shivered in fear.  


Piccolo had met the evil Raditz earlier. Raditz's' scouter, a device he carried which read the power level, or Chi, of any person he looked at, had mistaken Piccolo for Goku, whom Raditz knew as Kakarrot.  


"And what the hell are you doing here?" Goku demanded, angry at this distraction. His friendly demeanor vanished at the sight of his archenemy. He and his friends had suffered terribly at Piccolo's hands in years past.  


"I…want him." Piccolo said evenly.  


"You two know each other, huh? Figures…" Goku sighed.  


"He and I have…met. You three haven't got a prayer against him. You have to trust in me, or all is lost. His strength surpasses that of you or I…alone, we are equally out matched, together however, our powers may prove just strong enough!" Piccolo said.  


"Hmmm, could be. Mind telling me what's in it for you?" Goku asked, wary. The others didn't seem to like this at all. Even Raimi was nervous about the Demon King.  


"I bear you no affection, that is true. Whether your son lives or dies is a matter beneath my notice, but I have plans for this world. And I'll allow no one to interfere!" He clenched his four-fingered hand into a fist. "The moment this mangy Saiyan is destroyed, I turn my powers on you, and this time…" His smile was cold as ice. "The Earth shall be mine!"  


"You're welcome to try. I intend to play along until my son is safe, after that, though, all bets are off!" Goku smiled just as coldly. Raimi's eyes narrowed. This "real life" Goku was different from the one she remembered seeing and reading about. He was more focused, less easy going. Also his dislike of Piccolo was very evident here. He had only been careful around Piccolo, and even seemed to like him, but here he seemed to be itching to fight the Demon-King.  


"So be it. I can stand being around you, if you can stand being around me! By the way, who is this girl with all this power?" Piccolo said. Goku turned to Raimi, ignoring the question.  


"Hey, you should go too!" he said to her. Everyone gasped; going with Piccolo was bad enough, but taking this stranger really seemed crazy. Then Roshi, Kurilin and Piccolo really looked at her, feeling her Chi. They were surprised at just how powerful she was. The tiny demonstration with the handshake was not proof of true power, but still…Raimi thought about it. This was just a dream, after all. She would just love to see this fight in "real life," and if she was as powerful as Piccolo was mumbling about, maybe she could help, after all.  


"Okay, I'll go. The best plan is to try to get Gohan away from Raditz as quickly as possible." She said. There was a general cry of confusion, and then Goku yelled for quiet.  


"That's enough! I'll take her, Piccolo," he announced. Bulma gave him the Dragon Radar, to help in finding Gohan, who had a Dragonball on his hat. Hopefully, the boy still had his hat.  


"Kinto'un!!" Goku yelled. Raimi gasped as Kin-to'un, a golden cloud in appearance, dropped towards Goku and herself. Suddenly, Goku grabbed her waist and hauled her up onto the Nimbus, which took off at breakneck speed. Raimi barely heard the calls of good luck from Goku's friends. She was stiff and nervous as she stood in front of Goku on the golden puff. It suddenly occurred to her that only those with pure hearts and good intent could even stand on Kin-to'un. Well, at least it had proven her honesty. She nearly tumbled off when the cloud really took off, putting its former speed to shame. Piccolo flew beside them, lost in thought.  



	3. Part III

The Slou And The Flesh Part III "You know, I swear that your face is familiar. I know you. Then again, I can't remember where we met, or how. Well then, I have to know, will we beat Raditz?" Goku's voice was strained; he was obviously very concerned for his son. Raimi squeezed his arms, trying to comfort him.   


"Yes, I can tell you that. Just remember, don't trust him, no matter what he says or does…He would kill anyone for nothing, he has no morals, no mercy," Raimi told him, hoping he would listen and take heed of her words. Raditz was actually Goku's brother; the both of them were Saiyans, like she seemed to be now. The race was of alien origin, and were natural born killers.   


Goku had been sent to Earth by Raditz when he was only a few days old, and programmed to kill every sentient being on the planet once he was big enough to do so. Raditz had intended to come and pick up his little brother much earlier than this, but had been to busy "working" to get away. He had never even dreamed that "Kakarrot" was not fulfilling his programming, was in fact an unappointed guardian of the planet he was meant to destroy by his evil brother. "Kakarrot" had lost his programming shortly after his arrival, and had become a powerful yet gentle warrior, known now as Son Goku. But now that Raditz had remembered his sibling, and had discovered that Goku had failed to fulfill his mission, he was determined to kill Goku for treason.   


"We are getting closer, Goku. What does your radar say?" Piccolo called.  


"A little to the right. We should drop lower, or he'll see us." Goku responded.  


"It doesn't matter, he carries a device that reads the power and location of those with great powers." Piccolo broke the news.  


"So he knows…"  


"That we are coming? Yes, I'm sure he's seen us."   


"Let's just go get him. He respects bravery." Raimi called. Goku looked over his shoulder at her, startled by her apparent eagerness to face this monster, then smiled at her bravery.  


"Okay, let's go!" Goku yelled, and they dropped down towards a broad plain with a large crater towards the north, then they saw a huge man, the epitome of a Saiyan warrior. The three of them leapt down to the ground, and looked over at the Saiyan.   


Raditz was easily seven feet tall, with wild black hair that reached to his knees; he wore black armor that was similar to samurai war garb. His face would have been handsome, if he wasn't so twisted by evil. He closely resembled Goku, who anyone would call attractive. Other than his size, the only obvious sign of his alien nature was his tail, which was covered with soft brown fur. Raimi looked down at her own tail, which had blood-red fur that exactly matched the hair on her head. He wore it around his waist like a belt, and it was supple and very strong, like a monkey's tail, as Kurilin had found out painfully. He looked up at the party of three from the carcass of some creature that he was eating raw, unconcerned by their arrival. His scouter beeped at him, and he laughed.   


"Well, well, I see that you have found a common purpose. And who have we here? The boy is safely stowed away we don't need a babysitter! Oh wait, are you the brats mother? You go home to get the missus, Kakarrot?" Raditz's' laughter rang across the field, and rasped on Raimi's nerves. She stiffened, and felt a cold tingle in her belly as it moved like a chill running up her spine and spreading all over her body. Raditz scouter beeped insistently at him and brought up a display on the small heads up screen over his left eye.   


"What? 410! But how can an Earth girl have such a high rating!" He glared at her, and she stared back, trying to push the power down. Of course, it was a little late now. Then he noticed the tail and stared in amazement. "A female Saiyan, here? Well, I'll need to research this when I go home; this is quite interesting. But for now, let's see the mighty shrimps levels…Kakarrot is at 416! His power is rising, and the other one, 408! Impossible!"   


Raditz was referring to the Chi or power level that all living things had; martial artists had very high power levels, due to their training. Since the average human had a level of only 3, the levels that Goku, Raimi and Piccolo were showing was quite impressive. However, Raditz was much more powerful yet…  


Piccolo looked over at Raimi in surprise. He couldn't believe that her level was higher than his own was! No wonder Goku had wanted her here! Goku nodded. His mentors, Kame-sen'nin and Kami-sama had trained him to follow his instincts, and he had had a good feeling about her. Of course, this was his fight, and he had no intention of involving Raimi in it. He wanted her to get Gohan and get out of there as soon as possible.   


Raimi however was puzzled. Why would she have such a power level? What did this mean? Goku and Piccolo had trained all their lives to get such strength. Then Raditz turned to Goku, and asked why he had come to this place.   


"Why do you think, you idiot? To take back my son! " Goku stated angrily.  


"Oh, so you aren't here to come back with me, to join the last of your race? You owe us, Kakarrot, for your very life." Raditz coaxed. "Come on, you don't really think even the two together can beat me, do you?"   


"Forget it Raditz, I know you just want to kill him, after all the killing of another Saiyan is the ultimate rush isn't it? Genocidal Baka…" Raimi snapped. Raditz glared at her and opened his mouth to retort.   


"Raditz, you talk too much. " Piccolo sighed, cutting him off and pulled off his cloak, which clanged as it hit the ground, as did his turban.   


"Piccolo, you were armored, too?" Goku asked, as he pulled his ghee down to remove his own weighted, armored shirt. It hit the ground with an impressive thud, and he started on his boots, which were also weighted. All together, Goku carried an extra 200 pounds around at all times. It helped him to get stronger, since each movement he made required far more effort. His speed and strength would accordingly be higher when he removed these weights. He was surprised to find that Piccolo used the same strength training technique.   


"Yes, as are you, Son Goku, and I haven't felt so light in a long while…" Piccolo answered, looking over at Raimi, who was scowling, concentrating on something. She could feel little Gohan somewhere near, and she was trying to fine-tune this new sense, to see where the child was exactly.   


Then Raditz began to laugh, "You two are fucking fools! Increase your levels by hundreds of degrees, it won't make any difference to me!"  


The two men paused uneasy at this statement that they could feel was true. Raimi rolled her eyes at his vulgarity with a grim smile. He was in for a few surprises from the "fucking fools" this afternoon!   


"If you think power is everything, then you are no true fighter!" Goku laughed in return  


"Well, if you haven't learned the true use of power, then I guess I'll have to show you, "little brother."" Raditz snapped back. He was not joking; he was very, very strong, and had been proven in battle countless times. He was definitely the one with the advantage here. Even together, Goku and Piccolo was barely a match for his power level.   


Meanwhile, Raimi was edging around to the North, where she had pinpointed Little Gohan's Chi to be. The feel of the boys' power was surprising not only because he was very strong for a child, but also because he felt so different from Raditz. Raditz, unlike Goku and Piccolo did not know how to hide his power from detection, and probably wouldn't have bothered even if he did. His Chi signature felt awful, it made her uncomfortable, even slightly nauseous. Gohan felt angry, but pure, clean, and very strong.   


"Well, now it's time for your lesson, so pay attention!" Raditz called. Goku and Piccolo dropped into their defensive postures. They both were startled when he shot by them so fast they couldn't even see him and struck their backs. Both men flew, and immediately righted themselves. They turned and stared at the Saiyan in shock.   


"Well. Your defenses aren't all that bad. That should help you stay alive a few minutes more than I had planned." Raditz laughed. Raditz was bragging about the superior strength of his two partners, when he noticed Raimi was too close to where he had hidden his nephew.   


Raimi had made it to the edge of an impact crater that she realized was caused by Raditz ship when he had arrived, when Raditz turned and, gathering some of his energy in his hand, sent a blast of Chi at her. Raimi gasped, and her mind went blank, then her body and her instinct took over. She simply shifted to the side, so fast that she became a blur and reappeared a few feet away, the ball having sped on by. All three of the men stared at her, amazed. Raimi looked down at her body, wondering herself about this speed and strength she had. She looked up at the stunned Saiyan and smiled wickedly.   


"Well, the great Saiyan can't even hit a girl? And you call yourself First Class!" She laughed. Raditz growled in fury, but Goku shifted his stance and powered up some more, getting his brothers attention when the scouter beeped. The huge man laughed.  


"No matter, I can defeat all of you at once!"   


"Tell me, now! Where have you hidden my son!" Goku suddenly yelled. Raditz tilted his head down, and smiled evilly.  


"Hidden? Yes, I couldn't stand his wails. He's in that hole. Why didn't you figure it out yourself?"   


Goku ignored him, and floated into the air, looking down at the ship. "There! Daddy's here, Gohan! Hang in there, okay! Daddy will save you!" He called loudly.   


"Oh, come on! Don't get his hopes up. You aren't even going to be able to save yourself, Kakarrot!" Raditz laughed. Piccolo and Goku got ready, and attacked the huge Saiyan. To their dismay, he was easily able to repel their attack. After a few moments he sent them both flying. Undaunted they came at him again, but he only dodged, shooting up in the air.  



	4. Part IIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part IIII "Damn!" Goku swore, panting. He got ready to try to attack once more, when he felt the Saiyans Chi rise. He saw the light start to erupt from the giant's hands, which were pointed at both Piccolo and Goku. The beams shot out at them, and Goku dodged the one aimed at him. When the smoke cleared, the two defenders stood panting. Goku couldn't find Raditz, and began to look franticly for him. The giant appeared behind him and kicked him square in the back, sending him flying. He was stunned for a second, and then slowly got to his feet.  


"Do you believe me now, little brother?" Raditz laughed.  


"Damn you…Piccolo, are you…Oh no…" Goku gasped at Piccolo.   


"Well, I've been better." Piccolo joked. He was holding the stump of his left arm, which had been severed by Raditz's beam. Thick purple blood dripped slowly from the wound onto the grass. Piccolo showed no pain on his face, though he had to be hurting.   


"Hey, has anybody seen my arm? You can't miss it! It's green! Ha ha ha! Your head will be next!" Raditz howled with unholy glee.   


"Goku, don't you have any secret, new technique?" Piccolo asked.  


"Well, no, I'm afraid that I'm fresh out this time." Goku laughed.  


"Slacker. Luckily, while you've been taking it easy, I've been perfecting a new attack." Piccolo told him.   


Raimi watched the scene, nervous and tense. It was easy to watch this on TV, or to read it in the comic books, but to be here, and be unable to really help them, was torture. She knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't pretty. She looked back into the crater, at the space pod. She could hear Gohan calling for his father, and wished she could get him out. But, all things would happen in their due time, and patience was what was called for here. She tilted her head at the Saiyan, who was smirking at his brother. He had no idea that they were planning an attack that could kill him quite easily.   


"You know, this the attack I've crafted to kill you."  


"And now you are using it to help me. You must be very disappointed!" Goku burst out laughing, as did Piccolo.   


"What? They are…laughing! Are they crazy? I'm going to destroy them, and they are laughing!" Raditz was baffled. "You can plot and plan all you want. I am still going to kill both of you, do you hear me?" He roared at them, their lack of fear infuriating him. He was baffled by their rather cavalier attitude about his speed and skills, and how they didn't seem to care about his superior strength.   


In response to Raditz threat, Goku cracked his knuckles, and shot towards his brother. As they clashed, Piccolo started powering up, calling on all his power for use in the Makankosappo, his "Screw Beam Attack of the Devil". (That was as close as Raimi could translate it, her Japanese was rusty)   


Goku was giving it all he had, but Raditz had a near total advantage, being taller, faster and stronger, as well as having a longer reach. Raimi was nearly jumping out of her skin at each lightning fast blow of which very few were Goku's. Then, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise. She hissed, and looked to the left to see what was causing this strange feeling of wariness.   


It was Piccolo, who was almost ready to attack. He held two fingers to his forehead, and the energy that he held at the tips of those fingers was amazing. The light sang, pulsing and crackling, as if eager to fly. Then she heard a loud smack, and looked over at the brothers, to see Goku flying across the field. He barely touched ground before he hopped high in the air and, with a grimace of anger dropped into a well-practiced stance. He was going for his great hissatsu-waza, a desperation move, called Kamehameha, taught to him by Master Roshi.   


"_Kame_…" Goku's started. The power started to build between his cupped hands.   


"What! His power level is skyrocketing! 800, 850, how is he doing that?" Raditz yelled, not believing the readings on his scouter. He tapped the machine, and it began to broadcast the fight to his two partners in deep space. He knew they would be very interested in the techniques these Earthlings were using.   


"_Ha_…" Goku's voice was changed, ringing with the power he was summoning. Now light was bursting from between his fingers, making the surrounding area go dark by comparison.   


"That's it, he's focusing his power on a single point. That's it! What a technique!" Raditz wasn't quite as dumb as he seemed. However, he wasn't totally correct, since the Kamehameha was made of Goku's own Chi and Chi from the elements of the Earth around him; this "borrowed" power made the beam that much more powerful.   


"_Mey_…" The light had grown, and Goku shifted his body more forward in preparation of releasing the beam.   


"He's at 980, incredible! There is no way he could be so high!" Raditz noticed another reading behind him, and swore, realizing he had underestimated these men. Piccolos' level was at 1,330, and he was almost ready with his beam as well.   


"_Ha_!" Goku let his beam fly, and Raditz ran to avoid it, but Goku had a new trick for his brother. He concentrated, and moved his hands, shifting the beam so it flew after the fleeing Saiyan. Piccolo and Raimi held their breaths, and waited. Raditz must have realized he couldn't get away from the beam, because he suddenly stopped, and turned.   


"You dare! Well that's enough!" He shouted, and held his left hand forward, braced by his right. He stood right in the way of the beam and it hit his hands, exploding in a white blast that none of them could see through. Goku had really wound up that beam, and the blast was really big. When the dust began to clear, Piccolo and Goku really expected to see Raditz badly hurt, if not killed. However, he was not hurt at all; he stood at the edge of a small blast crater, still in the blocking stance, eyes squeezed shut. He slowly lowered his arms, and then snapped out his wrist, so that smoke rose from his palm. Raimi sighed in frustration.   


"He, he caught it!" Goku couldn't believe his eyes. "Piccolo better hurry."   


"Brother! Let me show you how it's done!" Raditz laughed, and let fly a retaliatory beam at Goku. It raced at him, too fast to be avoided. It hit him and tossed him backwards, then gave off a small explosion. Goku tried to block it, but didn't have the time. He began to fall, stunned.   


In Raditz's ship, Gohan had been furious and frightened by turns. Now he saw a flash of color in the sky, and looked closer at it. It was his father, falling to Earth, and he was hurt. Gohan was too young to understand what he felt, but it was rage, and his rage was making his power level rise, almost doubling it. But, more important, his Saiyan heritage was surfacing. He was nearing the point where even at his young age; he would be very dangerous to the focus of his anger. Raimi stiffened, and felt Goosebumps rise on her skin. She couldn't believe that Raditz couldn't feel Gohan getting ready to blow down there. Raditz was dashing over to where Goku had hit the ground, which was very near to where Raimi was standing, ready to pound his brother into a pulp, laughing with excitement; he had held back with his beam, just so he could used his bare hands on his little brother. He appeared above Goku and landed a wicked stomp to his brothers' ribs. Goku howled in pain, then Raditz grabbed him by the shreds of his gi.   


Raimi was trembling as she struggled not to jump into it with the Saiyan. Such a move would surely be suicide, since she couldn't fight. Raditz, in the meantime, was winding up for a killer right hook, when he remembered Piccolo. He looked over his shoulder, and gaped at the sight of the energy Piccolo held at his fingertips.   


"Let's see you block this one!" Piccolo said, feeling rather smug.  


"He's at 1,330, I can't block that!" Raditz sounded scared for the first time. But he squared his shoulders and sneered at Piccolo. "Okay, let's go!"   


"You've got it…Makankosappo!" Piccolo shouted, his voice ringing as Goku's had done. The ghastly light swelled from his fingers, then burst forth as a ray with a spinning spiral beam winding around it. It moved so fast, that Raimi and Goku barely saw it before it had flashed by and was heading for the mountains behind them. Goku threw an arm over his eyes as the beam caused an explosion of pure white light. Raimi felt something flash by her and shards of something hit her arm. It seemed as if Raditz had been hit, but when the light had died and the smoke had cleared, Raditz was revealed, panting as he glared at Piccolo. The right epaulette of his armor was blasted off, and his shoulder was burnt and bleeding, but he was still in far better shape than Goku or Piccolo was. The mountain the beam had hit was gone, completely destroyed.   


"He… he dodged it! He must be faster than the speed of light! But that is impossible!" Piccolo was whispering to himself, but in the dead silence after that blast, everyone heard him.   


"Well, well, look what you did to my armor! Imagine what it would have done to me if I let it hit me! Now, it's my turn. I have something I want to show you. Do you remember? It's the one I call watch the birdie!" Raditz held his hand up in the air.   


"I remember," Piccolo sighed. Raditz had threatened him with this earlier that day. He braced himself, watching those black eyes as light gathered in Raditz's hand. The Saiyan pulled back and was in the process of hurling the gathered energy at Piccolo, when he choked and the light in his hand dissipated. He and Piccolo both gasped in surprise, as they realized that Goku had sneaked up on his brother and grabbed his tail. Raditz stumbled as Goku laughed at him.   
"You were careless with your tail! I'll never forget how much my tail hurt and how weak I got when someone squeezed it!" He smiled evilly and squeezed the thick monkey like tail as hard as he could. Raditz bit his lip as a whine escaped his throat, and he fell to his knees. Goku squeezed and twisted the tail maliciously, his Saiyan blood showing for a moment. "Piccolo, your attack, do it again!" he yelled.   



	5. Part V

The Soul and The Flesh Part V "Yes! Goku, I knew you had a trick up your sleeve! Now hold that tail tight!" Piccolo gloated as he powered up again.  
"You shouldn't do that! You wouldn't kill your own brother would you Kakarrot?" Raditz began to plead with his little brother, whining like a child. "I never meant to really hurt you or the boy, I was only trying to test you, as soon as I realized you really were not going to come with me, I was going to let you both go! I swear I'll leave, I'd never hurt my own flesh and blood, I swear it, I'll go!" The giant man was groveling, as Raimi shook her head, disgusted at his behavior. She knew he was desperate, fearing that Piccolo would attack him before he could recover from the pain in his tail.   
"Goku, don't listen to him! He's lying to you, he cannot be trusted!" Raimi warned, but knew she was probably not being heard.   
Goku hesitated. Piccolo also started shouting at him to not release the tail, to not believe his brother; but Goku had always preferred to end a fight with all parties alive, and was feeling moved by the fact that this was his brother, the only blood relative he had, besides his son. Slowly, his fingers relaxed, as he made the Saiyan swear once more to go back where he came from, and release Gohan.   
"No! Goku, he's lying, he'll tell you anything to get free! Don't do it!" Piccolo cried, but it was too late. As Raditz rose to his feet, Goku backed away, but Raditz spun around, and slammed Goku into the ground. He jumped onto Goku's prone body and stomped on his ribs once more. The sound of them snapping made Raimi shudder in horror, and Goku's scream was so loud it hurt her ears. Raditz grinned above Goku, and leaned his weight on the broken ribs. He shook his head in disbelief.   
"I can't believe how stupid you are...You let me go? A true warrior never hesitates to kill, not even to kill his own brother! Now then, I want to hear you beg!" Raditz lifted his foot again, and stomped on Goku's chest. Goku couldn't move, he could only howl in pain as his brother kept smashing his ribs.   
Raimi felt Gohan behind her, his anger at the abuse that his father was taking nearing its peak. She turned back to the brothers, and heard Raditz taunting Piccolo.  
"Why don't you try your trick again, Green Man? Go on, try your luck!"  
Raimi nodded. "Just a few seconds more I think," she whispered.   
"Well, I guess you won't beg after all. Oh, Kakarrot, you're no fun at all! I think it's time to end this. Besides, you're too soft to be a Saiyan warrior! Say goodbye, little brother!" As Raditz got ready to power up again, they all heard a strange sound, like metal being stretched and bent. The scouter beeped, and started to run incredibly high numbers. Raditz paused, looking around for this new power source. Then there was an explosion. Debris and metal shards flew out of the crater, and then little Gohan could be seen, executing a perfect flip and landing at the edge of the hole.   
"Well, well, I see you have taught the boy a few tricks, Kakarrot…" Raditz mused. They all stared at the child, whose anger and power shimmered around him like a heat mirage.   
"Goku, look over by the crater, it's your son." Piccolo called. Goku turned his head and stared in amazement at Gohan. Raimi, Piccolo and Goku could feel the boys' energy level rising, and Raditz was staring at his scouters' display in wonder.   
"The boys power level is at 1200 and rising! Now it's at 1300! It's impossible! No child can be so strong!" Raditz said, baffled by the readings.   
"You leave my Daddy alone!" Gohan's voice was a roar, frightening coming from a child. He suddenly leapt at his uncle, flying so fast that Raditz, despite his own incredible speed, couldn't dodge him. Gohan hit him in the chest, dead center, and his protective armor caved in. Raditz stumbled backwards, and only kept to his feet by luck. Little Gohan fell to the ground by his father, and sat up, confused. He seemed to have no memory of what had just happened. He stood and stepped towards his father.   
"Daddy?" Gohan whispered plaintively.  
"Gohan? Gohan, run, run away now! Get out of here! Raimi, get him away!" Goku called. She ran forward, but Raditz strode forward angrily, and pushed on her chest, knocking her away. She stumbled and barely kept her feet. She started forward again, when Raditz leaned over the four year old menacingly.   
"You brat! You can't be that powerful!" Raditz said, holding his ribs, which seemed to be broken. Gohan cowered before his uncle, petrified by this huge angry man that looked so much like his father.   
"Wait, you're only at level one, what happened to all that power?! It's got something to do with your emotions doesn't it?" Raditz growled.  
"What power?" Gohan said weakly, trying to be as brave as his father.   
"You don't remember? Let me show you how you just knocked the stuffing out of your old uncle Raditz!" He backhanded the boy, easily tossing him fifty feet. Raimi shot by him to grab Gohan but felt the Saiyan behind her. She turned and blocked his way to reach his nephew again. He stopped and looked at her, smiling smugly. She looked up, and up, at him, her arms spread. She looked deadly earnest, and meant to keep him at bay this time, no matter what happened to her. Raditz looked at her, impressed by her bravery despite himself.   
"You can't possibly stop me, you know." He said quietly, then his eyes widened, and he looked closer at her. He looked stunned. "You…who are you? You can't possibly be a Saiyan, but you are, there's no doubting it. No matter, I'll take you with me, or I'll kill you, but either way, the boy dies."   
Raimi didn't listen to him; she was trying to control her temper. She was enraged at Raditz and angry with herself for hesitating before; if she hadn't stopped, Raditz wouldn't have been able to hit Gohan. The boy was stunned, and may have gotten a concussion from that blow. Her power level jumped up, moving higher and higher. Raditz paused, seeing that her level was almost at 1,000 and she wasn't even preparing for an attack. He swung at her with his left hand, and her right hand snapped up, catching his fist and stopping him mid swing. They stared at each other, both very surprised by this. She felt herself smiling that evil little smile, and to her surprise, Raditz smiled back.   
"Well. No one has ever hit me like my nephew has. And, your speed is very impressive. Both of you have earned the honor of a death worthy of any Saiyans!" He chuckled.   
He powered up preparing to blast her and Gohan, as Raimi stared unflinchingly into his eyes. Suddenly Goku appeared behind him, and got him in a full nelson. Raditz hand was pulled from her grip, and Raimi lost no time in grabbing Gohan and dashing a short distance away. She cradled the surprisingly heavy child to her, and watched as Goku and Raditz struggled. Luckily, Piccolo had been ready and was powering up once more. Raditz tried everything he could think of, but Goku just held onto him, ignoring his own pain.   
"See what happens when you tell a lie!" Goku laughed. Raditz got a handful of Goku's hair, but Goku just ignored the pain in his scalp. "No way! Oh no, nope, you're staying right HERE!" With a massive effort he picked up his brother and set him down facing Piccolo.   
"Kakarrot, you can't hold me and dodge that blast too!" Raditz taunted. Goku's reply shook him.  
"Ah, if it's the only way to defeat you…" Goku laughed. He was ready to do whatever it took to stop this monster. "Piccolo, hurry my ribs are broken!" He yelled.   
"I'm building up to it, but I need time, why did you not grab his tail?" Piccolo called back.  
"Because he can cut his tail off and it wouldn't work!"  
"You knew that? Wait! Kakarrot, are you insane! Let me go or we will both be killed! I swear I'll go forever…"  
"And just how will you go, Raditz? Your space ship is destroyed. Do you think we believe your partners would come and get you, and then leave empty handed? You have shown us how merciless and vengeful they would be… " Raimi laughed, shaking her head. "I wouldn't even want to face them after this, if I were you!"   
"Besides, you aren't fooling me twice!" Goku growled.  
"Goku, I will not hesitate. To kill you along with him is a special bonus to me. Of course, if you friends have the Dragonballs…" Piccolo grinned as the light pulsed in his fingertips. "Well, it's time! Prepare yourself, Goku!"   
"No!" Raditz screamed, still not believing that "Kakarrot" would do this. Raimi pushed Gohan's face into her shoulder, and looked into Goku's eyes after he looked at his son one last time. He smiled grimly at her and nodded.   
"Makankosappo!" Piccolo howled and sent the beam on its way.   



	6. Part VI

The Soul and The Flesh Part VI Piccolo's Makankosappo hit Raditz right where Gohan had hit his armor, hesitated as it bored through the breastplates, then went right through both men and dissipated. The momentum of the beam broke Goku's hold on his brother, but the job had been done. Goku flew backwards, while Raditz stumbled forward and fell on his face.  
Piccolo and Raimi stood for a few seconds, and then Raimi went over to Raditz.  
"Damn him! I can't believe he did it… Oh, its you…who are you?" The dying Saiyan asked.  
"My name is Raimi, Raditz." She bowed slightly, smiling smugly.  
"I've never heard of a Saiyan named Raimi, and I don't know how you could even be here on the Earth, you're too young." Raditz mused. "Still, now Kakarrot is dead, so at least I accomplished that much…"  
"Raditz you ass, Goku won't be dead for long" Piccolo told him  
"What are you saying?" Raditz asked.  
"Piccolo, don't tell him…" Raimi tried to stop him, but he rushed on, gloating in his triumph.  
"Here on Earth we have the seven Dragonballs, and they can grant any wish, even to bring one back from the dead. Goku will be back in a week…" Piccolo laughed.  
"Curse the bastard, but, still, I'm glad you told me, because I have just transmitted this information to my partners on the planet they are clearing. They know that I have been defeated, and they will come here, to sweep the human vermin off the face of the planet, including you. And I'm sure they will want to make a wish as well…" His words dissolved into laughter as Piccolo stiffened and stared at him, his pleasure at the victory gone.  
"How long? How long until they get here?" Goku called weakly.  
"Oh, about one solar Earth year. And here is the best part; they are both my superiors in strength! Like your odds? I do hope you all enjoy your last year. Transient joys are the sweetest…just ask your fellow insects. And as for you, Raimi, you face an even brighter future, after all, you are the last female Saiyan in the entire universe!" He laughed crazily. Piccolo lost his temper and slammed Raditz with the remainder of the power summoned for his special beam. Raimi gasped as she realized that Piccolo had decapitated him.  
"That's…Very you, Piccolo…", Raimi winced.  
"Still laughing? Indeed, I thought not…" Piccolo taunted the corpse.  
Piccolo and Raimi looked up, hearing an airship coming. It was Bulma flying Roshi and Kurilin to the scene. Raimi went over to Goku. Even though she hardly knew him, she was holding back tears as she thought that soon he would be dead. She was scared that she would be left friendless in this impossible world.  
"He's got to go though. I hope the others will at least give me a chance, where will I go if they don't?" She whispered, scared of the implications of this.  
"Raimi…Thanks for helping Gohan…" Goku gasped; the huge hole in his chest was gruesome. No human would even still be alive after such an injury. The eight inch wide hole went completely through him, the edges blackened and burnt.  
"Look here's Kurilin, Bulma, and Roshi…" she told him. She rested her cheek on Gohan's silky black curls, looking at the mountains, worried about what the future held for them. She knew that the message was racing towards the two Saiyans, and that they would indeed come to the Earth for the Dragonballs. Damn Piccolo's big mouth!  
Kurilin leapt out of the ship and was running to Goku's side before Bulma had even landed. He held his best friends' hand and tried to encourage Goku to hang on. The others stood by helplessly, already grieving for the loss of their friend. Piccolo added to their grief by informing them of the imminent arrival of the two Saiyans.  
"You mean, they are even stronger than this one was?" Roshi mused.  
"Yes. Although I don't know how much more powerful they could be…" Piccolo said. Raimi sighed and shook her head.  
"They are very, very powerful. He had only a small fraction of their power. You are going to have to train like mad to even stand a chance against them." Piccolo scowled at her, not liking her at all. She seemed to be the herald of serious, unpleasant changes in his world.  
"Good travels, Goku. May Snake Way lead you home safely!" Raimi said, her voice odd and her words sounding like a blessing. Roshi and Piccolo looked at her curiously, but held their tongues.  
"Kurilin, dying sucks, you know that?" Goku joked.  
"Don't talk like that, we'll bring you back, you know that!" Kurilin said bravely.  
"And Gohan is fine, don't worry about him, okay?" Bulma told him.  
"That's good, you won't get yelled at by Chi-Chi, Goodbye my friends, I love you all. Please listen to Raimi, we need to trust her, do it for me, please?" Goku's voice faded, then he disappeared. They stared at the ground where he had been, but only a ghastly pool of blood remained. Raimi looked up at the sky and smiled.  
"Ah, I sense the hand of that cursed Kami-sama in this!" Piccolo nodded. "He's the only one with the power to take him just before his last breath. He must have some plan for Goku, a queer plan at that." He turned and looked at Raimi. "Well, what do you think?" He challenged.  
"Well, yes, it was Kami-sama, and Goku is now on his way..." She told them to their great surprise. "I'll let Uranai Baba tell you more about that, okay?" She looked down at Gohan sadly. His life was changed irreversibly; his scholarly ambitions were history, for a while at least.  
"But what, how do you know this?" Bulma asked. "How could you know who Baba is?"  
"Never mind that! We have to get the other six Dragonballs and wish Goku back." Kurilin said. His tactic worked, Bulma was distracted from the strange girl.  
"Hey, how did that so called brother of Goku's find him so easily anyway?" Bulma asked.  
"The queer machine on his face…" Piccolo started.  
"It's called a scouter." Raimi added.  
"…It seems to track an opponents strength and position."  
Bulma's eyes widened, and she went over to Raditz body to look at it. "Wow, hey you get it, okay Kurilin?" They watched nervously as the small man pulled it off the giant's ear and leapt away from the corpse. Bulma snatched it from him and opened it, looking at the circuitry.  
"Wow…hmmm…got it, got it, this does that and that…this thing is one awesome machine! I should be able to fix it up." She said, eyes caressing the scouter lovingly. "When I fix it we should have no trouble finding the others or the Dragonballs!"  
"Well, we should hurry to the Turtle House, then. And someone has to tell Chi-Chi…Piccolo, what are you going to…" Master Roshi said. His voice faded as he saw Piccolo's face. Piccolo was growling, straining as he attempted to do…something. With a wet sliding sound, his severed arm regrew, the fingers clicking when he moved them.  
"Gah!" Bulma wheezed, totally disgusted.  
All of them, even Raimi who had known what he was doing, stared at him, then Kurilin commented, "That's real handy!" Smiling in admiration, he watched, as Piccolo slowly looked Raimi over, and then frowned. She realized that he was actually frowning at Gohan.  
"Listen, I'm going to take Goku's kid." He told them. Bulma Roshi and Kurilin gasped in horror at the thought.  
"But why would you?" Bulma asked. She looked over at the sleeping child.  
"I know! You want to eat him!" Kurilin said. He was teasing the Demon-King, but Piccolo didn't know that. His eyes widened in horror at the thought.  
"I do not! Listen, just before you all got here, this child showed the promise of having great power, greater than Goku, or even that Saiyan. I'm going to teach him how to use this power, because we are going to need all the help we can get, when those Saiyans arrive."  
"But, I think we should ask Chi-Chi first," Kurilin said, but Piccolo stood straighter, and glared at him.  
"I'm taking him, and if any of you try to stop me, I'll kill you all!" He snarled at them, and looked over at Raimi, who still held the boy in her arms. She looked down at Gohan's face, relaxed in sleep, and felt very close to him. She felt almost as if he was her own child, and she wanted to keep him safe, but she knew that she had to give him to Piccolo. The warrior was right, and it was what was supposed to happen, anyway.  
"Unfortunately, you are correct. You are the only one who can push him hard enough to develop as much as he must in the time we have. So, here he is." Ramie opened her arms, and Gohan floated over to Piccolo. Roshi and Bulma were quivering with fear, and Kurilin was stunned.  
"We shall see if I can develop him. He may just be too young. I'll bring him back in one year either way. Tell Goku to be patient, if he makes it back." He took off, and disappeared in the distance. They stared after him, then, they turned to Raimi with dirty looks.  
"I know Goku told us to trust you, but I'm not so sure we should." Kurilin said matter of factly. Raimi nodded in understanding. They must think she was as vicious as Piccolo.  
"I know that seemed heartless and cruel, but he will make Gohan into a splendid fighter. And Goku has a very good reason to trust me." Raimi said calmly. "And what would that be?" Bulma asked.  
"Because he remembers me, and I him, from sometime in the past, but the best part is, I can ride on Kin-to'un. Remember? Only someone with a pure heart and good intent can ride it." Raimi smiled as they thought about this. Bulma came around before the others, smiling with warmth as she realized it was true. She rubbed her rear as she remembered her own attempts to ride the magic cloud in her teens.  
"Okay, who are you then? And where do you come from?" Kurilin said.  
"We should head back to the Turtle House first, and I'll explain on the way." She suggested. After a moment's hesitation, they agreed to this plan, and set off, with saddened hearts, and Gohan's four star Dragonball all they had to show for their awful afternoon.  



	7. Part VII

The Soul and The Flesh Part VII "So, you really believe that you are dreaming or something?" Roshi asked Raimi as they headed back to the Kame House. She thought about it and then shook her head.  
"No, no of course not. I mean, when Goku pinched me, it really hurt. And Raditz pushing me around wasn't pleasant either. So I must say, this is real. So the real question is, why? How? I mean, I know almost all of what's supposed to happen, and there doesn't seem to be room for change. So, what am I to do here?" She seemed disturbed, and didn't notice the looks of amazement the others gave her. "I think that for some reason I'm here to help somehow, but how and when do I do this?"  


"You know everything that's gonna happen? Like what's gonna happen when the Saiyans get here!!" Kurilin said with excitement. Raimi snapped out of her reverie and glared at him.  


"My advice to you is to live you own life, and don't spend your time looking for an easy way out. I can't change things. I won't even try. So, please forgive me when someone hits you or kills somebody, okay?" They glared at each other for a moment, then Kurilin grinned.  


"Okay, I guess that's that. So what will you do for us?"  


Raimi smiled weakly at this. They were confused, and she couldn't blame them, but she wasn't a Kami. She was as confused as they were. But, despite what she had said to Kurilin, she did want to help somehow. But how? And how much, that had to be considered too.  


"Well, we can definitely use her strength though. So I say, let's go for it. It can't hurt. So can you fight?" Roshi said. She shrugged.  


"I don't know. I did alright against Raditz, but that hardly counts. Do you think I can get ready in time?" The old man was silent, then nodded. Kurilin laughed.  
"He got me an' Goku ready for the Tenka'ichi Budokai in eight months! You have a whole year!"  


"Actually, I have ten and a half months; the Saiyans are most anxious to get here for those Dragonballs. And boy are they tough too." She said. Kurilin and Bulma looked at each other in dismay. Ten months! That was so soon, too soon…  


"So, what all do you know about us from the past, something to convince us that you are genuine?" Bulma asked. Raimi smiled mischievously, and laughed.  
"Like how you had to wear that bunny suit of Oolongs, and the Usagi-san turning you into a carrot, then some of that nasty Emperor Pilafs plots to get the Dragonballs? Or how that's the first time anyone saw Goku transform into an Ozura-monkey? You guys have seen wild stuff!"  


"You know about Yamcha too then?" Bulma asked, somewhat miffed.  
"Yeah. See, I read about how he wanted your Dragonballs for himself, and all that…"  


"Enough, enough! I believe you! I believe you so much, that I'm willing to trust you. Besides, it's about time we had a girl who can fight in this group already!" Bulma said, and they laughed. (No one mentioned Chi-Chi) Raimi's stomach chose this moment to growl loud enough to wake the dead. She flushed as red as her hair while the others laughed.  


"Well, that's definitely familiar, isn't it Roshi? Goku could eat you out of house and home with his stomach. Let's eat and figure out our next move, OK?" Kurilin said.  


They moved into the Turtle house, where Bulma went to whip up some lunch. Raimi looked at her hands, and realized that she had no idea of what she looked like now. She asked for the restroom and closed the door. Nervously, she peered into the mirror. She gasped at her reflection, the reflection of a stranger. A Saiyan stranger, that is. To her eyes, she looked very similar to Goku and Raditz, and to a lesser degree Gohan. Her face had the same shape as Goku's, and she had a fierce widows peak, a true sign of Saiyan blood. Her eyes were dark green, and while wide were almond shaped. She had to admit that she was beautiful, easily equal to Bulma.  


She looked down and ran her hands down her body. Nice bonus, being stacked like a brick house! She giggled, and then turned her attention to the fluffy red tail around her waist. She had to learn how to control it; it had been moving about on it's own on the battlefield earlier. And why were it and her hair red? Every Saiyan tail was brown, and their hair black or maybe dark brown as well… all these mysteries that had to wait for later.  


"Hey Raimi, I thought you were hungry?!" Bulma hollered. Raimi bolted out of the restroom and was at the table in seconds. It was loaded with food, enough for ten people.  
"Hey, where's you guys' lunch?" Raimi said, teasing. They quickly grabbed some food for themselves nonetheless.  


The next morning, after a restless night and still no idea of what to do, a very tired, very grumpy Bulma awakened Kurilin, Raimi, and Roshi. She had stayed up all night working on the scouter. She fired one of Ranchi/Kushami's old Tech-9's at them, knowing they wouldn't get too hurt by the bullets. Sure enough, they leapt awake, blurry-eyed but ready for battle.  


"Ohhh, I hate it! I ALWAYS have to work while you MEN get to sleep!" Bulma yelled.  
"Uh, what about her?" Kurilin said, nodding to Raimi, who was fingering a bullet hole in her dress with wonder.  


"She helped Goku fight, remember? She was probably tired because of that, Kurilin! What did you do?" Kurilin sighed and gave up, as usual.  


"Okay, time to test this baby out. I switched it over to our numeric system, so let's give it a try." She set it over her ear, and it sucked onto her head like a living thing. She punched the button to turn it on.  


"Okay, you. Turtle Lover. Stand up and be scouted." Bulma pointed at Roshi.  
"Turtle Lover?" He grumped as he stood and flexed his seemingly withered muscles.  


"You're at 139, I think that's not too bad." Bulma looked at Raimi for confirmation.  
"The average man is at level 5, so that's not too bad at all. Besides, we all know that Roshi can power up to an even higher level." She remembered how she had seen Roshi do some serious powering up when Goku was only a child, back in her old life.  


"You are so scary when you talk about things you shouldn't know about!" Kurilin said. "Hey Bulma, what about my level, huh?" He leapt up on the table, so she could see him better, though he could have been half way across the globe, and it could have found him.  


"Let's see, Kurilin is at…209! Pretty good!"  
"Hear that! I could beat you around the block!" He gloated at Roshi.  
"I think it's busted. No way Kurilin is stronger than I am…" Roshi mumbled, unwilling to admit that his student had surpassed him.  


"Okay. Now then it's Raimi's turn." Bulma pressed the button, and stared as the numbers went higher and higher. "Wow, it's…345! That's so high! Why, you must be as strong as Goku!"  


"No way! Piccolo is at 322! I can't be that strong…" Raimi gasped.  
"If you and Goku are of the same race, then you probably are that strong. Do you know how strong Raditz was?" Roshi asked, curious.  


"Well, sure. Once I saw a chart, and he was at 1,200. He also kind of told us, when he said he couldn't block Piccolos beam when it was at 1,330." Kurilin stared at her, amazed at such a power level, even in an alien.  


"Man, that's wild! 1,200? And Piccolo powered up to 1330? Wow…" Kurilin mumbled.  
"Eeek! There are more readings, all over the place!" Bulma squealed.  


"Yeah, that's the others; Yamcha, Tien, Chauzu, and Piccolo. See one that's around 700?" Raimi asked thinking of Gohan.  
"No, the highest is you and that 322 over there…" She pointed west. They all turned their heads, and then Raimi laughed.  


"We can't see him from here! But that's Piccolo all right. I wonder why we don't see Gohan, unless he's not all that upset." She tilted her head to the side as she heard and sensed something coming towards them...  



	8. Part VIII

The Soul andThe Flesh Part VIII "Yo! Hey anyone here?" A grumpy voice said from the beach. Whoever it was, he wasn't trying very hard to get their attention.  


"Is that a log falling?" Kurilin said as he opened the door. Outside was a short round man, with an unfriendly face and a large mop of unruly black hair. Raimi recognized him as Yajirobei, a monk who lived in Karin Tower, with the mysterious caretaker of Kami-sama's Sanctuary. He frowned at Kurilin and peered into the house at Bulma and Raimi. His tiny black eyes focused back onto Kurilin.  


"Hey, you're that guy from Karin's' place, uh, Itchy-robe!" Kurilin poked fun at him.  


"It's Yajirobei! Hey, you did that on purpose! Well, this is a dumb place for a house. Listen, I got a message from Karin. He says you and the others, Ten-whatever and those guys, have ta come to the tower."  


"Why?" Kurilin asked nervously.  
"Kami is gonna train us. Oh and he said to bring this girl, I forget her name, something with an "R," too. And also, don't wish Goku back until the bad guys get here." He turned away. Kurilin and Bulma stared at him as he went back to his air car. "I told Karin I don't want to fight those Saiem guys, but I have ta." He grumbled as he went.  


"Well, tell him we'll be there, for sure!" Kurilin said, getting excited  
"Hey, did you hear that! Kami is going to train us, and you too, Raimi!" He shouted.  


"Me? How did he even know about me? What am I saying he is the Kami; Kami-sama is going to train me!" she said. She laughed and grabbed Kurilin's hands, as they danced around ecstatically.  


"Well, first we have to get you some clothes, and then we have to find Yamcha!" Bulma said.   
"Wow, but I don't have any money! Bulma how can I buy clothes?" Raimi said. Then they all paused. The air car was coming back.  


"What? Why is he coming back? Maybe he forgot something?" Bulma said.  
"Wait… that's not Yajirobei, that's, that's…" Roshi mumbled.  


"Hello! Permission to come aboard! It's us!" A huge man called from the air car, which was headed towards them at dangerous speed. A pretty woman with an angry expression drove the car.  


"It's Chi-Chi!" Bulma, Kurilin and Roshi howled in fear. Raimi gasped and hid behind Bulma. Chi-Chi was Goku's wife, and a very formidable woman. Even Goku was a little wary of her temper. Her black hair was pulled back into a bun on top of her head, while her large black eyes were narrowed in anger. She brought the car to a screeching halt on the beach. The huge man got out and bowed formally to Master Roshi.  


"Greetings my Master! My happiest memories are still of when you trained me here as a boy!" He said. Though Gyu-Mao was Chi-Chi's father, he bore little resemblance to her. He was eight feet tall, constantly smiled, and was rarely seen without his horned hat, with the symbol for "ox" on the front.  


"Hello Ox. You were a good student. Crazy though." Roshi said to the huge man.  
Chi-Chi had leapt out of the car and was looking in vain for Goku and Gohan. Her black eyes rested on Raimi for a moment before she set into Kurilin and Bulma.  


"Alright, where are they? I've had about enough of this; they weren't back this morning…Oh, that Goku!" She said, speaking faster and faster. "Where are they? Bulma, why didn't YOU tell them to come home? I'd have thought…" Roshi took pity on Bulma and Kurilin, who looked ready to drown himself in the ocean to get away from telling her the truth about her husband and son.  


"Well, you see, yesterday this alien showed up at our reunion, and he said he was Goku's older brother see…" The old man explained everything to the horrified Chi-Chi. She screamed in horror when Roshi was finished.  


"Goku is dead! That monster Piccolo has taken my Gohan! Goku is from…from…" She fainted, unable to take in all this tragedy. They stared at her, feeling sad for her.  
"Uh, should we bother to tell her about me when she wakes up?" Raimi asked, as the Ox-King tried to revive his daughter.  


"Yeah, she should know that you're here to help…Hey wait, did you know that…" Bulma started.  


"That Piccolo would kill them both? Yes. But, you see he had to die, I'll let Baba explain it later. But please realize it was hard for me to let things take this course. If we killed Raditz, and Goku didn't die, then when the Saiyans got here, and they were intending to come here anyway, we'd be doomed. Those guys are way stronger than Raditz was." She shook her head. They had to accept her explanation for now, even though they didn't understand what she had just said. Bulma silently turned to help revive Chi-Chi.  


So when Chi-Chi woke up, they introduced the two women and Raimi explained about herself.  
"I see. And she helped them? You're here to help us?" Chi-Chi asked. "Because I am so…confused and scared now. Can't I see Gohan?" She looked so worried, Raimi felt very bad for her. She took Chi-Chi's hands in hers.  


"I'm so sorry, but you can't. He needs to focus on his training now. We have to trust in Piccolo and his desire to keep the Earth for himself. Funny how your enemy is now one of your greatest allies, isn't it?" Chi-Chi shook her head. "I hope you're right. Are you sure he won't kill Gohan, I mean he is…" She bit her lip and took a deep breath, then smiled weakly at Raimi.  


"Well, I am going to believe you. Thank you for helping us. But, will you do something for me? Will you swear to protect Gohan from these monsters? I think you owe me that for not saving Goku, even though I'm sure you could have, if you wanted to…" Chi-Chi sounded bitter, but Raimi wasn't angry.  


"No Chi-Chi, I really couldn't save him, no one can interfere with destiny. Goku was fated to die today, and he'll be brought back when the time is right. And as for Gohan…I promise you that I'll die before I let him come to serious harm.  


"But you must realize he is now becoming a warrior, and he must face danger and injury. I am going to make the decision as to how much he can take, and step in only when I must. I have the feeling that it's a part of what I'm here to do, anyway. Will that make you feel better, Chi-Chi?"  


The other woman nodded sadly. Her eyes wandered over the blue water, and Raimi could tell she was seeing her plans for her small son falling apart. She would have to learn to live with these changes; after all, she was as tough as her husband, though few gave her credit for it.  


Later, after Chi-Chi and her humongous father left, Bulma took off for the city, with Kurilin and Raimi in tow. Seeing the city that was home to both Bulma and Capsule Corp had shamelessly excited Raimi. And she couldn't wait to meet Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chauzu. However, Bulma stopped and made Kurilin wait for two hours while she helped Raimi pick out some new clothes, since she didn't have anything other than the black dogi she was currently wearing. Kurilin was silently fuming, but knew better than to bother Bulma while she was shopping.  


"Oh Bulma, really, you don't have to get all this, I'm sure Kami-sama will just do that…that thing he can do to make clothes and thing for his students…" Raimi protested, but Bulma was not to be denied."  


"I can't let you go and spend a year among half a dozen men with just one dogi! What kind of person do you think I am? Listen, if we're gonna be friends…then I can't…Hey look at this!"  
Raimi blinked, surprised and touched by Bulma's words. She was so nice! She certainly had decided to trust her; maybe Goku's words meant more to them than Raimi had thought. Anyway, by the time Bulma was done, Raimi had a small but gorgeous selection of clothes, and a Capsule-case to keep them in. She refused the manicure and haircut, figuring that Saiyan hair was near impossible to manage no matter what one did with it, and it was time to search for Yamcha.  



	9. Part VIIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part VIIII They rounded Yamcha up at his small, messy room at Capsule Corp. He seemed to be glad to see Bulma, and was startled to see Kurilin and Raimi with her. He stared at Raimi; obviously he thought she was pretty. She smiled at him, and promptly turned her attention to Pu'ar, his shape-shifting cat companion. She observed him on the sly, and decided he was definitely very handsome. The scars on his face gave him a rakish air, and his long blue-black hair only added to his bad boy charm. No wonder Bulma always made up with him whenever they broke up!  


She listened as Kurilin and Bulma explained about the events of yesterday and Goku. Yamcha was stunned, and Pu'ar began to cry. Raimi picked up the small furry cat and held her gently, feeling sad again too. Yamcha perked up a little when he heard about the offer to be trained by Kami. Pu'ar, however, cried harder.  


"Oh, Yamcha, you'll be in terrible danger when these horrid men get here, won't you?" Pu'ar squeaked in her high voice. Kurilin looked at Raimi, looking for a reaction to these worried words, but she held her face in a calm, neutral expression. She stroked Pu'ar comfortingly.  


"Well, sure, but after we all get trained, we'll be ready for anything! Right Kurilin?" Yamcha said, not worried. Of course he hadn't seen Raditz in action, but still, he was always so confident, it didn't really matter. They waited as he packed some things, and they all piled into Bulma's aircar again, Yamcha realized they had no idea of where Tien and Chauzu were.  


"Hey how are we gonna find them?" He asked. Bulma proudly pulled out her scouter. He stared at it, confused. "This is going to find them for us! Now let's see…" Bulma put it on her ear, and it beeped and showed her the way.  


Finally, they had everyone, their stuff, and were flying to Karin's Tower, the lowermost part of Kami-sama's palace. The men were quite bummed to find that they were going to have to CLIMB the Tower, which was unbelievably tall, rather than fly with the aircar or even their own Chi.  


"Hey, I didn't write the rules! It's just how things are! Am I right Kurilin?" Raimi protested. He sighed and nodded.  


"Yeah, she's right. Karin won't help us, unless we climb up. But how are we gonna do that? It's so tall…" They looked out the windows at the structure, which looked like it was a mile tall. Clouds were actually gliding BELOW the living space on top of it. Bulma was grinning with wicked glee, glad she didn't have to climb that thing.  


"Hey, Raimi, you up to that climb? Or you gonna chicken out?" Tien asked, only half joking. His trust was hard to get, and he was still very unsure about her. She wrinkled her nose at him.  


"Oh, I'm ready, Tenshinhan, are you? My question is, do we do it now, or wait until morning? I say morning, so we can see…" She said as Bulma landed. They agreed, and got out, staring up, and up, and up at the odd slender support they were going to climb. Bulma popped a Capsule house for them, and they sat quietly, thinking about the reason they were there in the first place. They quietly talked about Goku, and how strange it was that he was gone. Finally they went to bed, too sad to talk anymore.  


The next morning they woke before dawn. Raimi and Yamcha were hungry, though Tien and Kurilin decided to not eat, so as to be lighter when they climbed. Then it was time to get to it. One by one, staring with Tien and Chauzu, they started off. Kurilin insisted on following Raimi, making him the last to go. Bulma waved goodbye, and took off back to the Kame House.  


For Raimi, the climb was nerve racking. She was strong, and it was certainly helpful to be strong when you were climbing straight up for almost a mile. But she couldn't miss the view, and the view reminded her of how high in the air she was. She had to keep reminding herself that she could fly.  


Then, there was Tien, who was climbing a lot faster, so fast that Yamcha, Kurilin and herself were hard pressed to keep up.  


"He's…going…to get tired real…fast, don't you think?" Kurilin panted as he peered around the pillar at her. She smiled evilly.  


"Well, we'll just…have to laugh when he…has to rest and we pass him, right? Hope he doesn't fall off, he'll have to…start over; sounds very…very tiring to me!" She chuckled. Kurilin laughed too, and then decided to save his breath. Raimi couldn't believe that Goku had once climbed this thing in only three hours. So she was surprised when they reached the ladder to the door in only five hours. Panting, they filed into Karin's house.  


"Well, well, look at this! You look ready for a nap, not for training!" They heard a gravely voice say. They noticed a white bi-pedal cat standing before them, holding a strange staff. The staff had a small jug hanging form it, and Raimi smiled as she realized that it was the famous Chou-water. It had taken Kame-sen'nin THREE YEARS to get it away from this tubby kitty. She bowed to him and pointed at the bottle.  


"Pardon me, Master Karin, but could I have some of your water?" Karin humphed, then all of them blinked as she snatched it away from him too fast to be seen. "You don't mind, do you?" She said sweetly. After a moment of stunned silence, the cat began to laugh.  


"I like you, you're spunky, like Go-ku," He said, stretching the name out oddly. "Yes, have some, but not too much, it's pretty potent, even for a strong little Saiyan like you. And since she got it from me, she can share with all of you, but only this once…" Kurilin and Yamcha exchanged glances as Raimi took a swallow of the Chou-water, and pointedly handed it to Tien. He grimaced and took a swig, and passed it on. When they all had had some, and had realized that they were re-energized, Karin cleared his throat for their attention. When they looked over, they were surprised to see a tall figure behind him.  


"Kami!" The men all breathed reverently. Raimi stared at him, amazed by how similar to Piccolo he looked and yet so different as well. Kami was also green, with antennae and pink patches of skin on his arms and legs. But his face held a totally different expression; while Piccolo was dark and intense, and very angry, Kami was calm, and looked to be at peace. Raimi liked him instantly. She walked over to him and bowed politely.  


"I am truly honored, Kami-sama. Thank you for taking such an unworthy student such as myself." She said softly. Kami smiled back, and rested his hand on her head.  
"I have found that all are worthy, my child. Now, let us begin…take my arm, girl." Raimi hooked her arm through his, and watched as he motioned the others closer.   


Kurilin and the others gathered around them and waited as Kami looked at each of them in turn. He nodded and then his eyes flashed…  


Suddenly they were outside, standing on the edge of a large white tiled platform. They looked around for a moment before they realized that they all were wearing additions to the clothes they had had on just moments before. All of them, including Yajirobei who had mysteriously appeared, had heavy black shirts under their various uniforms. They also had extremely heavy boots on their feet, which looked like the ones Goku always wore, and wrist weights as well. But the most startling change was in Raimi's attire. She had been wearing jeans and a Capsule Corp. T-shirt, but now was wearing exactly the same uniform that Kurilin and Yamcha wore, except for the Turtle symbol, which was the name "Kami-sama" on hers. She looked down and smiled proudly at her emblem.  


"These weights are part of the secret of strength training that I discovered long ago. You've all seen that Goku wears the weights I gave him almost constantly. And when he removes them, his power almost doubles; his speed increases as well. You all have strength and abilities that we can use to fight off these Saiyan warriors, but you also need to improve these skills and that is the main goal I have in mind for you as a group. I also hope you will share some of the techniques you have picked up in your years of fights and training. Now then, why don't you warm up and spar with each other, while I speak with our newest edition?" Kami said to them, then, with Raimi still holding his arm, he disappeared.  


"What does that mean?" Kurilin wondered, just as Chauzu playfully tackled him and shocked him with a nice blast of Chi. He was forced to turn his attention to the matters at hand.  



	10. Part X

The Soul and The Flesh Part X Raimi looked around at the next stop, and was rather awed by the sight before her. She recognized it from the Manga as Enma-Daio's palace, but was still amazed by the scale of the place. Then she noticed that the wooden wall before her was in fact a desk, behind which sat the hugest man, uh Oni, she had ever seen. Easily fifty feet tall, Enma peered down at her, looking menacing in his horned helmet.  


"KAAA-MIII! What are you doing bringing another person here so soon? Do you think I've got loads of free time to talk to your pets?" Enma boomed. Kami blushed as Raimi frowned, miffed by this example of poor manners.  


"Excuse me, but aren't you supposed to greet guests with words like "Hello" or maybe "How do you do"? For the King of the Other World, you have very poor manners. I say you should start over, hmmm?" She said. Enma's black eyes rested on her in amazement, as the entire palace went silent with shock. The two head oni were appalled, and shivering in fear in their corners. Kami want a pale sea-foam green next to her.  


"Well? I know you are busy, but that is NO reason to yell at the poor Kami. I think you need to take a break, have some coffee, get some air." Raimi continued boldly. Enma's stunned face went red, and his giant chest puffed up, like he was going to roar at her. To everyone's surprise, he began to laugh instead. He laughed so hard, that he could only wave at them, tears running down his dark cheeks. The two nervous oni fainted, as Kami gaped up at the laughing King. Raimi was laughing too, relieved by the fact that the big guy wasn't going to kill her. Yet.  


"Ok, I admit it." Enma gasped, then laughed more. "I must apologize. Will you and Kami join me in some tea?" He asked; he stood, and led them out of the room. He took them to a little (In Enma's scale) patio, where Kami and Raimi floated up onto a table and found another table on it in their size. After a nervous little oni brought them tea and cakes, Enma asked Kami why he was visiting with another Earth person, and this one not even dead yet.  


"Well, I was wondering if you could look in The Book, and see what the story is with her appearance in my world, King Enma. Why is it that I now have two Saiyans on Earth when everyone believed them all but extinct?" Kami said as he sipped his water. Raimi looked up from her blue tea, surprised by the idea. Of course this was intriguing, but a little scary. And how did Kami know about Saiyans? He hadn't known that Goku was a Saiyan before…or had he?  


"I'm not sure Kami, The Book is sacred. And besides, the few times people have looked at their lives, they have gone insane or died from shock." Enma reminded him. Kami nodded.  


"I know, but I was hoping, that maybe Raimi would give me permission to look for her. She would have trust me, since I can't tell her everything, but…"  
"Oh, yes, I wouldn't mind! Please, King Enma, I'd like to know what's going on here!" Raimi said excitedly. Enma sighed and thought for a moment. He looked at her, thinking…  


"I suppose so. Yes, I'll allow it, but both Kami-sama and myself will look, and we both decide what to tell you, and how much detail. Do you agree to these conditions?" He looked at her balefully. She swallowed, and nodded. She wasn't entirely happy with this, but couldn't argue about it. So they now set off to Enma's desk again. Once there, Kami and Enma peered into Enma's little black book. Raimi stood on the floor, shifting from foot to foot, trying to be patient. The pair of gods hummed and exclaimed for quite some time, before they turned back to her. She felt a chill of fear at the look on their faces.  


"Uh, well, it's like this…" Kami said.  
"You are a Spirit that had moved on. Somehow, and the details are not clear on how it happened, you moved into the body you now inhabit. She was born here, and was supposed to die ten days from now. There was no notation of what you are to do, and no information about your future. So basically, there is nothing really to tell you." Enma said simply. Raimi stared up at them, then frowned.  


"No, that can't be it. There was more, but you won't tell me, will you?" She said quietly. Kami sighed.  
"Actually, there really isn't. We spent all that time looking for cross-references. Goku claimed to know you, so we looked for a reason why. There was no information under his life. But…"  


"Kami, that's all!" Enma said. Kami nodded. Enma shook his head. "Go back to your training, Raimi. You will need every second you can get, if you really want to help your new friends."  


One month later, Raimi was furiously working out, reworking the moves that Kurilin and Yamcha had helped her to learn. She had picked them up with surprising ease; making her wonder about the girl whose flesh she now lived in. Did she know Martial Arts? Who was she really? Or maybe that should be, who had she been…  


Now she was learning how to fight, how to craft Chi forms, such as beams balls and discs, and other skill that would be essential in fighting the Saiyans. She knew she had a long way to go, but if four-year-old Gohan could become a warrior, she certainly could!  


But right now, she was simmering with anger, trying to work it out of her system. She was drenched with sweat, pushing her weighted down body as hard as she dared. She was struggling even harder with her raging emotions. She had been frustrated ever since Kami-sama had brought her back, and she couldn't seem to shake it. She had never been one to stay angry for very long, but now, her emotions were very high. Of course, she had just died, but that didn't seem very real somehow. Nothing did. So, why…she grunted as she felt someone land on her back. Her arms, already shaking for the strain of thousands of push-ups, gave out on her, and she ended up flat on her face.  


"Hey Raimi, want some lunch?" She heard Kurilin say. She looked over her shoulder at him, glaring. He smiled in that goofy way he had, and she had to laugh.  
"Well, that's mighty nice of ya, Kurilin. You must have heard my stomach growling." She said, and then pushed herself up again. He stepped off her back, and she sat up, panting slightly. She was dripping with sweat, and felt self conscious in front of him like that. He nodded in approval, smiling at her.  


"You know, Bulma would have showered three times by now. You really work hard, don't you?" He asked. She shrugged. "I have so far to go. I don't feel like I'll be of much help with only a years worth of training. Still, there's no way out but through." They stood and headed for the palace dining area. Later, while she was sparring with Tien, was when IT happened for the first time.  


Tien was actually very nice, but very stiff. He was hard to get truly close to, and was very loyal when you did finally get on his good side. He was slowly including Raimi in his list of friends, but was still the hardest on her, sometimes leaving her breathless and bruised after they sparred. Raimi's arms still ached from her very first session with him, weeks later. Now he was working with her, yelling freeze when she did something incorrectly, and showing her how to improve her moves.  


"That's better, yeah, try to get my face, I'm going for yours…" He said as she tried to get by his guard. She was still a little peeved, and her speed seemed improved by this. Then she swung at him and he caught her fist in his hand. He smiled and squeezed here hand painfully. She frowned and he swung low with his free hand, which she caught. Now they were caught in a stand off, neither willing to give up their holds. Who ever got free first would have the advantage. She grimaced with pain as Tien ground her hand bones together, and returned the favor to his wrist. He winced, but didn't make a sound.  


They were pushing their power hard, when Raimi realized that she wasn't quite strong enough to beat him. She bared her teeth with fury, her anger igniting into full-blown rage. Tien didn't realize that she was angry, but the others felt both of their Chi rising higher and higher, and came to watch the action. Yamcha and Kurilin were amazed to find the pair standing absolutely still, only their arms trembling with effort. Chauzu and Yajirobei looked at each other and shrugged baffled as well. Kami and Mr. Popo were coming out when something happened to Raimi.  


She gasped as she felt a strange heat start in her bones, and race though her body. Her Chi was visible around her, as was Tien's, but now it was flaring even higher, a raging blue-violet flame. The guy's heard a high whine, then were blown back by a concussion, like an explosion, as Raimi screamed, releasing Tien and jumping back, grabbing her head. Tien stared in amazement, as he felt her Chi jump to a much higher level than any of them had ever felt her achieve before. She bit her lips, as she felt the fire seem to consume her body; she felt dizzy, and knew she couldn't take much more of this. Her Chi dissipated, and she fell to the side, unconscious. Kurilin ran over to her, but she seemed unhurt. Yamcha picked her up and took her to her room, while Kami asked Tien what had happened.  


"I don't know, she just…exploded! She was losing, too. I'd swear she wasn't strong enough to beat me, but she wouldn't give up. Then, BOOM! What do you think just happened?" Tien said. Kami didn't answer for a moment. He looked at Kurilin, who was looking after Yamcha as he carried her away.  


"What do you think Kurilin?" Kami asked.  
"Well…I know that Goku could become stronger real fast, and he wanted to win no matter what, so…maybe it's because they are Saiyans? Still, Goku never did that…" He replied slowly. Kami nodded. Yamcha came back out.  


"She's out cold, but I could feel it, even in her sleep. She's hot, and her Chi was still high, made me tingle. What was that?" He asked. Kami held up his hand for quiet. He took a deep breath to speak, then shook his head.  


"I don't really know what happened. She did seem to get much stronger in those few seconds, but I don't know how or why. I'll ask her what she thinks when she wakes up."  



	11. Part XI

The Soul and The Flesh Part XI Raimi slowly became aware that her body hurt all over, like she had been crushed then stretched on the rack. She sat up slowly, and then noticed that Kurilin was sitting by the bed. He looked at her worriedly.  


"You Ok? You've been sleeping for two days. Kami was thinking about trying to get some senzu beans for you." He told her. She smiled at him weakly.  
"Yeah, I'm Ok. What happened? I was sparring with Tien, then I can't really remember what happened after that." She said. He told her what had happened. Raimi was amazed, but was certain she could explain it.  


"Well, Saiyans seem to have some strange abilities; one of them is when ever a Saiyan fights, he gets stronger. Also, if the opponent he fights is more powerful than the Saiyan is; and if he survives the fight and manages to recover, his power level will rise to exceed the opponents power." Kurilin's eyes were wide with amazement as he listened to her. "Most of the time a Saiyan will win, no matter what, but if a Saiyan is defeated, and fights the person again, then he will definitely kill the guy. And, the worse he's hurt, the more powerful the Saiyan gets when he recovers." She frowned slightly.  


"But this usually takes time, I don't think it was ever in an instant like what happened to me, but I could be wrong. I don't know everything you know. And it's been so long since I read any of this..." She shook her head as Kurilin stared at her, not really understanding what she was saying. She didn't notice his confusion; she was too busy trying to remember more of the things she had once known by heart. The entrance of Kami-sama and Mr. Popo called her back to reality.  


"Hello Raimi, you are feeling better?" Mr. Popo asked. Kurilin told Kami what Raimi had just told him, and they wondered if they could test her theory. Raimi wasn't too keen on getting hurt in the name of science; and since she should be stronger than Tien, who was the strongest of the group, they couldn't remake Raimi's sudden burst of energy. Raimi was confused about all this and just wanted to get back to training.  


"Yes, but rest some more first. You aren't fully recovered yet. We'll work on this later." Kami said; he seemed distracted by something. Raimi didn't really think about it though, she was too hungry to care. She tackled Kurilin and tickled him, laughing happily.  


"Ahhh! Stop! I guess you're feeling better, eh?" He said as she leapt up and smiled down at him. He could tell she was no longer angry, and wondered why.  


"Yep. Let's eat!"  
"Man, you're just like Goku, aren't you, always hungry...I'm glad you are Ok, Raimi." He said sincerely. She smiled back and nodded.  
"Me too Kurilin, me too..."  


After two months of simply sparring with each other, they were all getting restless. They had talked about it, and wondered when or even if Kami-sama would teach them something after all.  


One day Raimi was standing and watching the men around her as they worked on some of their techniques. Yajirobei was munching cookies under one of the palm trees. He was a confusing guy. He was actually a very skilled fighter, but had absolutely no ambition or drive to become better. Only the threat of calling Karin to come and help in the training could get him to move. Raimi was hoping to get him to teach her some techniques with a Katana.  


Yamcha was balancing his body on one finger, feet straight in the air. He was trying to focus on his balance only, excluding all outside stimuli, but some butterflies had found his nose fascinating. They were distracting him as their wings tickled him, making him sneeze. Not far away, Kurilin was jumping gracefully from one point to another, working on his flexibility and precision of movement. Chauzu was working with balls of Chi, destroying the palm trees along one side of the Sanctuary over and over. The trees regenerated each time. One of the severed trunks fell on an uncaring Yajirobei.  


Tien was working on his Shishin No Ken technique, which caused him to create or split off three other versions of himself. Each of him only had one fourth of the originals' total power, so he worked on raising the power of all four duplicates. Then Kami and Mr. Popo walked out of the Sanctuary. Raimi turned to greet them, holding Chauzu in her arms, like Tien often did.  


"Whew, thank goodness. I thought we'd have to order more pizza!" Mr. Popo said when he saw four Tiens. Tien pulled his forms together and sighed. The guys were not laughing at Mr. Popo's joke though. They were restless, and seemed to be ready to confront Kami about his lack of attention to their training.  


"Hey, Kami, I don't mean to be rude, but we aren't really learning anything new!" Kurilin said bravely. Kami's eyes flashed.  


"He's right, so far you haven't taught us anything we couldn't do on our own!" Yamcha agreed. "We want to be as strong as Goku was when he was here."  
"Yeah, Kami, we want the same training that you gave Goku." Kurilin said.  


"Well, listen carefully then. I...taught...Goku...Nothing! That's what I taught him!" Kami told them. They guys were floored with shock, and Raimi began to laugh. Obviously, something was up here. She stopped laughing when Kami stared hard at her though. "You won't be laughing soon, Miss Rei-mi!" he warned, and then walked off laughing hysterically himself. Raimi shivered uneasily at this.  


"Man, what did he mean by that?" Yamcha mused. He looked at her, but she shrugged, just as confused as he was.  


"Who knows? If Karin hadn't made me come, I'd be out of here. Just between me and you, the foods not that great either" Yajirobei griped. Raimi rolled her eyes; and she was the one accused of being a walking stomach! Tien took Chauzu from her, as they exchanged glances that said, "Something was up all right."  


"Mr. Popo, we all know Goku received training here before, why can't you just tell us what it was?" Yamcha challenged. "Come on Mr. Popo, we just want to be stronger!" Kurilin said earnestly.  


"To be stronger, you must know yourself and your enemy. Once you know this, all will become clear." Mr. Popo said in that 'Martial Arts Mystery Divulged' voice. Of course, this just annoyed the guys, and even Raimi sighed in frustration.  


"What do you mean? Know myself?" Kurilin said curiously. "Sounds like I'm back at Orrin Temple!"  
"Don't give us that nonsense, how can we not know ourselves? I know myself better than anybody!" Yamcha yelled. Raimi was remembering something about this moment; not only was something going to happen, it was gonna be bad...  


"So you know yourself Yamcha. Then how come you don't know that you are weak?" Mr. Popo said quietly but also condescendingly.  
"Ohhh, would you like to prove that?" Yamcha leapt up the steps of the Sanctuary into Mr. Popo's' face, snarling angrily. "You beach ball!"  


"Oh no you don't!" Mr. Popo touched Yamcha's nose, which froze his entire being and surprisingly, caused him some pain. Mr. Popo shook his head, not offended. "All of you follow me." Yamcha grabbed his hurt nose and Raimi heard him say "Owww" very quietly as she walked by. She held back a smile as they were led to a large room.  
It was very dark, and contained a huge strange clock. Below the giant swinging pendulum was a bizarre sigil, which glowed golden in the darkness. They looked around, baffled. Raimi peered closely at the sigil, which looked oddly familiar to her eyes. Somehow, her memory was fuzzy about this. She knew something strange was going to happen, but was unsure just what it was.  



	12. Part XII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XII "Wow, check it out!" Yamcha said as they filed into the room. He looked around, eyes wide, like everyone else. This was new to them; they hadn't even known this room existed.  


"Neato!" Chauzu gasped.  
"What is this place?" Tien asked.  


"In this room the past, present, and future are mixed. You will start your time trip from here." Mr. Popo explained. "When Goku was with us, most of his training took place in this room."  
"Yeah? Goku?" Yamcha gasped.  


"That's right. I hope you are ready. Raimi, I need to warn you, the place you are all going to will be very disturbing, but especially for you. You will be confronted with things that will change you very quickly. If you wish to wait we will understand. Do you think you are ready?" She looked at Tien and nodded. He nodded too, backing her up.  


"I think we all are. Let's do it!" Tien said, and set Chauzu down.  
"Yeah." Yamcha agreed, and smiled encouragingly at Raimi as she looked at him and Kurilin. She could just feel it. Bad stuff was going to happen, and she was probably gonna be the one to suffer most.  


"No thanks you guys, I'd rather not. Think I'll have a snack." Yajirobei said, and sat to the side, munching more cookies.  


"Those of you who wish to go, step inside the circle please." They walked forward and waited. "Lady and Gentlemen, I can only recommend that you see with your hearts. Now close your eyes. The next time you open your eyes, you'll be in a far off place and a different time. Raimi, you especially should be careful where you are going. I wish you all luck."  


Raimi felt a cool breeze wash over her skin and knew that she should open her eyes. She saw a bleak scene; a city in ruins. A tall tower was leaning dangerously, but it still had a beacon light turning at its top, possibly as a warning that had come too late to the city inhabitants. Now it illuminated the devastation around it.  


"Where are we?" Chauzu asked.  
"I don't know. But there's been some pretty serious fighting going on around here." Yamcha said.  
"No doubt. This place is demolished." Kurilin said.  
"It sounds like all the fighting has stopped though. Listen..." Tien said. He looked at Raimi's shocked, pale face, wondering what she was thinking. 

Raimi felt very odd. She knew this place, felt recognition for it in her bones. She had never been here, but she knew it just the same. Just then a skeleton fell down a pile of rubble behind them, landing at their feet. The skeleton seemed to a Saiyan's, complete with his still furry tail, still dressed in the armor that hadn't been able to protect its wearer. Raimi stared at it, and felt faint.  


"Look, a Saiyan!" Yamcha gasped.  
"Not anymore..." Kurilin noted. Raimi stepped forward and knelt by the bones. She reached out and laid one hand on it, feeling tears drip down her cheeks.  


"Raimi, you okay? What's wrong?" Yamcha asked. She bowed her head and sighed.  
"Nothing." She saw a something in its hand, and retrieved it. She stood and looked at it. It was a pendant, with a strange symbol on one side, and writing on the other. She put it in her pocket. Maybe it would go back with them when they returned to their own time.  


"Listen. I think I hear something." Tien said. They paused and listened.  
"Yes, I hear it too, it's a person, I think..." Raimi turned and looked.  


"Nah, it could have been anything." Yamcha said.  
"Yeah, but it definitely was something!" Kurilin said nervously. He didn't like the look on Raimi's face. He was hoping she could give him a clue as to what was going to happen; by the expression she wore, it was going to be bad.  


"Come on, let's go check this place out." Yamcha said. They prowled around, amazed at all the devastation they were seeing. They paused and looked up at a statue of a huge, handsome Saiyan wielding a sword. Water poured from his feet and down the statue pedestal. To Raimi he looked a lot like Goku. At the foot of the pedestal was a huge pile of Saiyan skeletons. Raimi stood over them, feeling more depressed by the minute. She wanted to be alone and sort out the strange feelings that these bodies caused in her. Too bad she was here for the duration, it seemed.  


"Man, what a battle this must have been. Look at all these Saiyans! They must be some tough dudes..." Yamcha exclaimed.  
"What's wrong with you Raimi? You seem really upset about these guys..." Kurilin said  


"Of course I'm upset! Do you know where we are, and why this place is like this? Do you?" She stood and turned to face them. She looked wild, on the verge of hysteria. "The only Saiyans I've ever seen are Raditz and these dead men! It's rather disturbing to be honest!"  


"Oh, what's wrong, the only good Saiyan is a dead Saiyan, from what I've heard. Why are you sad about these guys?" Tien said callously. Her eyes narrowed with cold fury.  


"This is my home world, the Saiyan home world, Vegeta-sei! These bodies all over aren't the result of just one big battle. They are the result of many, little, useless battles to see which is the stronger. These men kill each other like animals, and you ask why I'm upset? These monsters are my people, my race! Just look around you, Tien. Doesn't this waste upset you, even though you're from Earth?" She turned away, and stood staring at the ruin, which she could see better than they with her Saiyan eyes. Kurilin walked up to her, and took her hand.  


"Hey, it is bad, but we need to learn from this, so we can understand the Saiyans coming to Earth. They must be horrible men if they come from this place! Remember what Mr. Popo said? "You will be changed here, by this." Be strong, Raimi, we need you!" She was trembling, but nodded. He was right, they would definitely learn a lot here.  


When they started walking again, they saw a huge building and entered. Raimi hung back from the others, walking slowly. She didn't listen to them talking, but she did hear Chauzu cry out in fear. Her head snapped up, and she saw two ugly Saiyans, one holding Chauzu, baking the boy with his huge Chi. Chauzu was gasping and getting weaker by the second, as steam rose from him. The others were stunned, and tried to gather their power for an attack. The one holding Chauzu tossed him over the edge, into the deep pit beneath the building.   
Raimi didn't think; she just ran and jumped after him.  



	13. Part XIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XIII "Chauzu! Raimi! Oh no!" Raimi heard Kurilin yell after her. She could barely see Chauzu's white skin as he fell ahead of her, his speed higher due to the Saiyan's powerful throw. She lost sight of him, and when she landed, she couldn't feel him either. His Chi was either very low or gone entirely.  


"Chauzu! Chauzu, are you all right?" She called. Her body stiffened as she felt a huge power behind her. Raimi leapt to the side, rolling and regaining her feet. She looked up and found the feral eyes of a huge Saiyan. She stared at him; he stared back and smiled.  


"Well well, who have we here? What manner of creature are you? And what could possibly bring you to my...fair planet?" His voice was husky and deep. The darkness was so deep that even her Saiyan eyes were having trouble adjusting, but his face was becoming clearer. She gasped when she could see him. He was much taller than she was, but that face; and the voice...it was making her get Goosebumps. His hair stood up on his head like flames, and she could barely see dark red highlights in it. His smile was as cold as ice.  


"How do you know that I wasn't born here?" She asked insolently. He frowned at this, and stepped closer, his armor creaking in the stillness.  


"Not all Saiyans are just fighters. Some have brains too. I saw your little friend; definitely not a Saiyan, that one. And, you showed concern for him, which no native of Vegeta-sei would do, even if they did feel it." He said simply. Raimi smiled at this. This guy was smart. Despite her fear, part of her liked him.  


"Then I must apologize. I didn't realize there were thinking Saiyans out there." She said, and chuckled at his surprised expression. They stood, reanalyzing each other. He came closer still.  


"Ah, but you see, members of the court are educated, sometimes painfully. What is your name?" He asked, and punched his scouter. She had been holding her level down, as practice for the Saiyans arrival. Now she was glad she did it all the time, without even thinking anymore.  


"My name is Raimi..." She said, and stepped back, trying to keep at least ten feet between them.  
"...What kind of name is that?! A Saiyan without a proper name, I'm intrigued. My name is Vegeta."  


"VEGETA!?" Raimi gasped. This was the King of the Saiyans! She was sostunned that she was unable to counter when he suddenly leapt at her; she barely kept away from him, dodging and ducking as he tried to grab her. She jumped up and kicked him in the shoulder when he followed, surprising herself as well as him. They landed, and stood facing each other again. She was surprised, but shouldn't have been, his hair gave him away; only the royal family had hair like that!  


"Your friend is dead, by the way. He doesn't register on my scouter...." Raimi held her face in a calm expression, but felt her heart sink. Poor Chauzu...  


"What do you want, Vegeta? I need to get back to my friends." She said, as if she were going out for a stroll. He smiled again, and laughed.  
"I'll go with you, I'd like to see the fools who would visit Vegeta-sei as if it were a vacation spot."  
"We are no tourists, Your Majesty..." He lowered his head, while she crouched, ready for the attack that was coming.  


"Oh, so you already know what's coming eh...come let's not fight, besides, it's not becoming for women to fight..." He laughed, seeming to know that she would get angry at his statement. She knew it was untrue, after all Goku's mother had been a warrior, or at least Raimi thought she had been. He was trying to keep her off balance by making her mad.  


"Fine, why don't you put me in my place? I don't mind if you do beat me black and blue, after all, no pain, no gain!" Raimi hissed, letting her power level rise. He dropped into a ready stance, and waited, reading his scouter as the numbers rose.  


"Well, you are a fighter, most women never get so strong. I'm interested to know how you hid your power. Okay, here's your lesson!" He blurred out and she widened her eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of him. He appeared right in her face and sent her flying. Raimi landed on her feet, and this time remembered to feel him out, dodging his next attack. He blocked almost all her return blows, but also didn't land as many on her as she would have expected, give his power level. She jumped back, and held up one hand, panting.  


"Wait, you are holding back, I can feel it! Why?" She was furious at this insult.  
"I didn't want to spoil your beautiful face, Raimi. Besides, you aren't all that weak. Saiyans are born knowing how to fight. A Saiyan infant can beat almost anyone if it needs to, that's why we send them out to clear weak planets..." He panted lightly.  


"You force them to transform to beat those planets; the ships, they project an image of the full moon for the babies to use, until the job is done." Raimi said, her eyes narrowed in disgust. He shrugged, not concerned by her distain.  


"So what of it? I'm saying that your instincts are doing you good service against me, and I am only holding back a little. But if you really want to get beaten..." He leapt at her, and began to really beat on her. She was unable to defend herself from such speed and strength, she just wasn't ready for this level of combat yet. He grabbed her arm, and pulled her back against him, getting her in a chokehold. She couldn't budge his arm, but she did remember seeing something like this happen in a movie back home. She stretched her arm out, and slammed it behind her, burying her elbow in his ribs. He grunted. She did it again and again, until he yelled in pain and released her. She could barely move, the lack of air making her weak. She felt him powering up, growling in fury. She looked back at him as he held his side, glaring at her.  


"Okay Little Girl, have it your way. Say goodbye!" He hissed. Raimi stood and turned; shegasped as he blasted her with his huge Chi. She was barely able to block it, and could feel her power fading away as her own Chi tried to protect her flesh from frying. When his beam faded, she was left almost totally spent, panting for breath.  


"There now, feel less insulted? Come back for more, when you've recovered!" He laughed. "That is, if you survive that long!" She felt herself fading, and then opened her eyes to see Yajirobei, Mr. Popo and Kami-sama watching her. The others were there also, all of them, even Chauzu.  


"Oh!" She gasped, and looked down at her hands. They were alive! She felt stronger as well.  
"How did we get back here?" Tien asked, looking spooked.  


"You never left here. You all have just stood there like a bunch of zombies. We've been watchin' for five minutes." Yajirobei told them, seeming worried and confused. He rarely showed this much concern for anything (other than food).  


"But how?" Yamcha said. "We were exploring for hours..."  
"This room allowed you to make spirit bodies so you could travel through time and space." Mr. Popo told them.  


They all looked at each other, and then Tien bent to Chauzu smiling in relief. Kurilin looked up at Raimi, whose eyes were unfocused, lost in thought. What had happened to her, he wondered to himself. He had been surprised when she just took off after Chauzu like that, and then he, Tien and Yamcha were fighting the two Saiyans who attacked the tiny Emperor, and couldn't worry about either of them anymore.  


"So, how did it go?" Yajirobei asked. They stood uncomfortably, not meeting his gaze, embarrassed about their lack of results during his or her fight. Yajirobei stared at them impatiently. "Well? Speak up! What happened?"  


"They fought valiantly against very strong enemies. I should warn you; the two Saiyans who are coming are twice as strong as the ones you fought today. Even the one you fought Raimi, is not as strong as the ones coming here now." She sighed, not surprised.  


"Somehow I figured that..."  
"Wait, she fought too? A Saiyan, by herself?" Yamcha said.  
"Yes, and he was big too," Mr. Popo said.  


"If any of you wishes to back out, I would understand, but you must do it now, because after today, there is no turning back." Kami-sama warned them. Their faces showed shock and fear, but they recovered quickly.  


"Hey, I'm in!" Yamcha said.  
"Me too." Kurilin agreed. Tien bent down to Chauzu again, grateful that his friend was still alive. He looked up at Raimi and sighed.  


"Raimi, I have to apologize to you. You were faster and braver that I was, going after him like that. I am very grateful to you, even though I thought you couldn't help him. I'm right aren't I? What happened to you guys down there anyway?"  


"Chauzu "died" from the fall, Tien. And Raimi met with the most powerful Saiyan of that period. You did quite well against him, Raimi. I think you should go back and work with him, he will teach you more than we can here." Kami said. The guys stared at him.  


"You want Raimi to train under a SAIYAN! You must be kidding!" Yamcha gasped.  


"No, I'm not. She needs to learn how they fight; she has as much to lose as we do, maybe more. They are quite likely going to try to take her with them when they leave, since they are the last of their kind. Only the two of them, Goku, and Raimi remain now..." Kami said.  


"Do you really think that is a good idea? I have to admit, The King scares me witless, and he already promised to flatten me again if I go back." Raimi said quietly. The others looked at her stunned.  


"The King? The Saiyans have a King? And he's the Saiyan you fought!? No way!" Yamcha exclaimed. She glared at him before she noticed the admiration on his face. Tien and Kurilin looked just as awed. Kami nodded.  


"Yes, and I think she should work with him some more at the least. He will give her valuable insight to how the Saiyans think and fight. All of you could learn from her when she returns." Kami said firmly. "I don't want to order you to do this, Raimi, but I will if I must. He is going to be your Martial Arts Master." Raimi stared into space, then nodded.  


"I guess you're right, Kami. But I need new equipment first. I will need to be in armor, and..." Kami and Mr. Popo led her off to get her ready for the "trip" to the planet Vegeta-sei while the others watched with some misgivings. Kurilin was especially worried.   


"Hey Yamcha, don't you think this is a little bit heavy for a new trainee? I mean, she doesn't even really know how to fight yet, and Kami wants her to face up against the strongest Saiyan of that era?" Kurilin asked quietly.  


"Yeah, I don't think I could do it, she must really be brave," Yamcha said.  


"No, just determined. Raimi is very courageous, but she is also determined to help save the Earth when these guys get here. I have to admit, she is tough, and strong too. She will be okay, or Kami wouldn't suggest this training, we have to trust in that." Tien said, surprising everyone. He had gained a lot of respect for Raimi when she dove after Chauzu like that, even if it had seemed hopeless to save him. She was okay in his book.  



	14. Part XIIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XIIII After some discussion, Kami had created a suit of Saiyan armor for Raimi; based on what she was able to tell him of what the Saiyans headed for them would be wearing. One of the modern day Saiyans wore a full body suit under his armor for maximum protection, so she designed the same for herself, only with a black stretch suit, instead of blue. She also insisted on an extremely heavy weight, wanting almost 400 extra pounds instead of the customary 200 that the guys were wearing. Kami was very nervous about giving her so much weight to wear, but after Raimi admitted just how heavy she was already, he felt better about it.  


"You weight THREE-HUNDRED POUNDS!" Mr. Popo gasped. Raimi blushed, hoping the guys didn't hear him.  


"Hush! Yes, 300 pounds(136 kg!) and Goku probably weighs about 500 pounds (227kg), so now you know why we eat so much. We Saiyans have very heavy bones and dense, thick muscle; Vegeta-sei had gravity about ten times Earth normal, you know." She sniffed. Mr. Popo grabbed her arm and squeezed, humming as he noticed for the first time that her flesh was very solid. Kami waved his hand for them to follow him. He led them to a new room, similar to the Room of Space and Time, but without the clock. There was a sigil on the floor with a blue glow and a small mattress in the center. Mr. Popo sighed.  


"Well, is this really necessary? The Pendulum Room seems safer." He said to Kami. Kami shook his head.  


"We need more time. This is the only way to give her enough time for the training she needs." He turned to Raimi, his face serious. "Here you will be able to be gone for a year, and when you return, only a few weeks will have passed in this world. Also, I can still retrieve you, with out risk to myself or to Popo. King Enma offered to ask one of the Kaio's for help, but this is a way that I can help and keep track of you myself. Mind you I don't intend or even have the power to help that much, but I'll do what I can." Raimi raised an eyebrow at this enigmatic speech. King Enma asking the Kaio's for help? That was both amazing and touching. Still, this was scary and exciting, and she just wanted to get started.  


"Well, what do I do?"  


"You simply get into the circle and lie down. The room does the rest. I will be 'listening' to you, and if you are in too much danger, or if you call me, I'll bring you back. Somehow, I don't think you'll call, you're as stubborn as Goku is; neither of you like to accept help." She smiled weakly at this. "Are you ready?"  


She nodded, and slowly walked into the circle. Her skin tingled, and she felt heavier already. By the time she reached the tiny bed(Which was some how her size exactly) she was ready to lie down. She got comfortable, and closed her eyes...  


She opened her eyes, and saw that she was lying on some kind of lawn. She sat up slowly, and found herself facing several angry looking Saiyans, all in armor with short capes attached to their epaulets, all of them male. She looked around at them, blinking at the bright light of two suns in an orange sky. She stood, ignoring the gang around her. The gravity was intense, and she was having trouble adjusting. One of them stepped forward and leaned down from his impressive height to stare into her eyes.  


"And just who are you, Chibi?" He said. She frowned at him, and stood up straighter.  
"None of YOUR business. I am here seeking an audience with the King. You do know of his whereabouts, I hope?" She said, trying to radiate great dignity. This was hard to do since her knees were trembling from the gravity. The Saiyan glared at her angrily.  


"I know better than any other where he is. But he doesn't speak to silly little girls. So, I say again..."  
"Well, then I'll just have to go find him myself, if the one who "Knows better than any other where he is", can't help me. See you later." She shrugged. The other men sniggered, and the man in her face went red.  


"You are going nowhere, Chibi. I'm gonna make you pay for that, and you're going to be sorry..." She stepped back and laughed. He was obviously not as important as he claimed, because she could see another man walking up to the scene. Besides, she could tell that she was stronger than he was, but not much. The gang parted as the new man came, until he stood next to her and the angry guy.  


"What is going on here? Who is this woman, Potah?" His voice was steel, quiet and deadly. The men all stepped back as his eyes bored into the man before him.  
"She wouldn't tell me, my Lord. I was just going..."  


"He was going to kill me, without telling me how to find the King. The King will see me, I have...business with his Majesty." She broke in smoothly. The newcomer's hard black eyes turned to her, and she felt cold under his gaze.  


"Really? I have to see this. The King doesn't see commoners, at least not if he can help it. What is your name?" His voice was commanding.  
"I...my name is Raimi. I..."  


"Come with me, then, and know that if you lie, the King will kill you, or maybe order me to do it." He turned and led her away. Luckily he walked slowly, so she was able to keep up. He didn't seem to notice her problem, yet.  
"Excuse me, but may I ask your name?" She asked politely. After a short pause, he nodded.  


"Togarashi, in the pure tongue. Most call me Togai. Your name is not Saiyan, yet you are definitely Saiyan. Why is this so?" He asked. She peeked up at him, but his face was emotionless, giving away nothing. She had to think fast. 

"I...I was sent off as most of us are. But, I don't remember anything of the last sixteen years. I don't even remember getting back here. The gravity is more than I'm used to..." She was only half lying, with this story. She saw his eyes rest on her, and could tell he didn't believe her. He seemed to be waiting for some thing more from her. She was silent though, figuring the less she talked, the less likely she was to slip up. 

He was taking her to a city, huge and actually rather primitive to her eyes. She realized that this city had not been built by or even for the Saiyan Empire, but had been taken over from its original inhabitants. She looked around like a country bumpkin, uncaring of Togai's presence next to her. Luckily her glazed eyed staring helped to convince Togai that she wasn't lying about losing her memory. Slowly, she began to notice that the people of the city, Saiyans all, were nervous, as if they were waiting for an attack. None of them were dressed in armor, and there were very few women. She could feel their fear and hopelessness. What had happened to these people to make them like this? 

Finally, they stood outside the Palace. She was impressed, but also a little sad thinking about the fact that the people who had built it were destroyed. She doubted if any of the people in this city have ever thought twice about its origins. Togai's voice intruded on her thoughts. 

"Come along. I have other things to do. If you're wrong, it won't take long to die." "Oh, come on! Just get me in there, and stop rooting for my demise, please!" Raimi snapped before she could think to stop her self, already sick of the thick aura of death hanging everywhere. He was probably going to kill her for that! Instead, he smiled warmly at her, surprising her when he laughed. 

"All right, I'll "just get you in there," I hope he doesn't kill you, actually. You seem perky." He said, and walked into the huge doorway. 


	15. Part XV

The Soul and The Flesh Part XV The palace was gigantic, possibly built for people even bigger than the average Saiyan, who all seemed to be at least 6'10" (1.85m) tall, with the exception of herself, and a little guy she saw lurking in the shadows. He was quickly lost behind them as Togai led her to what had to be the throne room. He told her to wait, and disappeared, leaving her seemingly alone in the huge room. Raimi looked around, wondering if any of the Saiyans appreciated the beauty of this room. The walls were incredibly tall, and had huge windows running around the length of the room. Each window was paned with a stained glass marvel, none of them the same. There was the throne at the end of the room on a dais, and behind it, the portrait of a handsome man, possibly the first King of the current line, judging by his upward pointing hair. She noted that the man in the portrait had reddish hair.  


After a while, she began to worry; what if this wasn't the same King she had encountered, or he didn't remember her? Raimi fidgeted nervously, until she sensed a powerful presence in the room with her. She stiffened and sniffed the air instinctively. She recognized the scent of the King; now did he recognize her?  


"Well, look at this! I'll always remember that hair, and such a short girl is easy to notice. What brings you here, Little Girl?" His deep voice rumbled behind her. Raimi stood still, and didn't turn around, waiting for him to show him self instead. He chuckled, and stepped into her sight.  


"You come on a good day, the court is out and I'm alone here. Our previous encounter is rather hard to understand, would you be so kind as to explain it?" Despite what he said, she could still feel others in here.  


"Your Majesty, I must speak to you in confidence, if that is possible. But first, I've come here to present myself for training, the training that makes we Saiyans the finest warriors in the Universe."  


He sneered down at her, and laughed. "Training, eh? Yes, you need lots of training, don't you? You weren't able to help yourself against me at all, were you?" She clenched her teeth, keeping silent as he prodded her temper. He finally relented. "Yes, girl, I'll have Togai arrange for you to get trained. Very few have the courage to demand this of the King, you could have asked any warrior to foster you in the ranks. Why risk your life on my pleasure?"  


Raimi had no idea what he was talking about, what did he mean by 'fostering"? But she decided to play it off as best she could. "Well, it seemed like the best way to insure the finest training possible. Surely, if the King orders that I receive training, then the best Sensei is going to be arranged, hai?" He shrugged.  


"It's also the best way to end up dead, dealing with me. But I feel generous today. Togai, come here."  
"Yes, Vegeta O-sama?" Togai bowed deeply at the waist.  


"Go arrange for my Seito to be trained by the best...I know! Get old Kakarrot to do it. He is the best." Raimi almost broke in to demand to know who was named Kakarrot here, but bit her tongue before she could speak. Kakarrot, it couldn't be some version of Goku, could it? She was burning with curiosity about this.  


"Hai, O-sama, he taught me, and of course, yourself. He might disagree with a female Seito, though." Togai said. Vegeta shrugged, not concerned. He was the King, and his word was absolute. Togai left, and Vegeta turned back to her.  


"You have something to tell me?" His eyes crinkled at the corners, giving him a falsely kind look. She nodded, and looked directly to the guards stationed in the corners of the room. He followed her gaze, and waved them out. The doors closed behind them loudly.  


"Yes...I don't really remember what has happened to me, Your Majesty..." Raimi started.  
"Vegeta. You may call me Vegeta, unless we are in mixed company." He said. She nodded, surprised at this friendliness, and continued.  


"Any way, I don't know anything about who or what I am. I know that I'm a Saiyan, named Raimi, which is not a Saiyan name, and that I can fight a little, but not enough to be any good to..."  


"Ah, to who?" His eyes gleamed in the multi-colored light from the huge windows.  
"Well, I..." What should she say? Then, it came to her. "I was hired to help fend off some privateers, by a little backwater planet. The people don't really have any warriors, they are weak and the invaders are too strong for them. So they hired me, thinking that a Saiyan, even one Saiyan was a better fighter than a whole army of weaklings." She crossed her fingers. Vegeta looked at her and smiled.  


"They are correct. And you have potential to be very good. With Kakarrot as your Sensei, you can be one of the best warriors on Vegeta-sei. But, I doubt you will be ready to help this pathetic little planet. It will take at least a year before you will even be ready to fight a second-class soldier. So, I guess they loose, eh?" he smiled wickedly, and after a moment, Raimi nodded agreement.  


"I guess so. Too bad..." She felt relieved that he believed her, and waited as he just looked at her. His stare was as heavy as lead on her face. Why was he staring like this?  
"Hmmm, I think we should have you checked out first. Come along." She was puzzled again; checked out?  


Checked out meant a physical, much to her dismay. Raimi balked, not wanting to find out if her body could fool the Physician; who wasn't a Saiyan, but was a slender being, with soft pink fluffy fur all over its body and big violet eyes. Raimi knew that her body wasn't completely there, some of her was still on Chikyu-sei of some years in the future, and wondered if there was any way to avoid this. She looked around the room as the King and the doctor spoke in low voices. Finally the creature turned to her.  


"Uh, could you...uh, please...remove, uh, your armor? You may keep...uh, the suit on...it, uh won't...be in the...way...Of the sensors, uh I mean..." After Raimi deciphered this hesitant speech, she pulled her armor off, and waited for more instruction. The King picked up the plates, and raised an eyebrow at her.  


"Well, this is weighted to Elite standards. Very interesting..." His eyes were making her nervous, as they looked her over and stared through her. The physician moved her gently to a seat with lots of strange equipment around it, and asked her to sit. Raimi fidgeted nervously, then clasped her hands to try to keep still when they looked at her sternly. There was no help for it; she had to go through with this, after all. There were some strange sounds from behind her, then whirring sounds around her. A small box like a camera rose from the floor in front of her, and then rose into the ceiling. The furry physician came over to her and bowed.  


"Uh, could...could you...uh, please stand...now...miss...?" She smiled at his curious face, and stood, arms down at her sides. He turned to the King and they spoke quietly. Raimi strained to hear them.  


"Strange reading...not...can't tell...Power? No..." They were whispering, and she couldn't hear over the soft sounds in the lab. She sighed, and almost jumped out of her skin when Vegeta snapped at her.  


"Wake up. Little Girl! Power up, now." She blinked and set her feet apart, then felt a small stab of fear. If her power was too high, she could be killed for being stronger than the King. If it was too low, she would be deemed unworthy of the training she had been promised; but how high was too high? The King was glaring at her, thinking she was disobedient. She took a breath and unwound her control of her Chi, letting it rise to its natural level. She then powered up slowly, trying to make a good show of it.  


"It's, uh, at 860, sire...and rising..." The doctor said. The King nodded and scowled.  
"Come on girl, where's the strength you showed before? Let it out!" He said. Raimi swallowed and pushed harder.  


"930...940..."   


"Stop! Vegeta, what are you doing? I told you, the Prince is to be my last student. Now you try to foist this girl..." The new voice broke into her concentration. She relaxed, panting from the effort of holding back and powering up at the same time. This new man was as tall as the King, with a bush of long straight black hair that was grizzled with gray at the temples. His build was less muscular than Vegeta's; he was also remarkably ugly. He bent his furious gaze to her and stopped his tirade. He stared at her for a moment, and then turned back to the King.  


"What is this? A girl, even such as she, is hardly worth my time. And your brat keeps me more than busy." He sounded distracted for a second. What was that look for, she wondered.  


"Now, now, Kakarrot, don't call the heir a brat, please. And as you can see, she is an interesting case. Come look at these readings, we can't understand them. And yes, I will insist that you take her on too. Please get her set up. I have to get back to business. Korudo-sama is coming to inspect the teams in two weeks, and the peasants are complaining about the lesser Princes again. Listen, Raimi? I prefer Little Girl; my only order for you is to not make me look stupid for forcing you on my personal Sensei. If you do poorly, I'll know, and I'll make you pay. Got that? Then, I'll see you at the quarter." Vegeta waited as Raimi bowed, and then nodded to the doctor and Kakarrot. In a moment he was gone; Raimi felt frightened without him there. Dangerous as he was, he was also familiar.  


"What is your name again?" Kakarrot snapped.  
"Raimi, Sensei." He looked at her blankly.  
"That's...uh, interesting...she has....a...uh, non-Saiyan name....and no...uh, ID, uh, either, sir..." The doctor said.  


"No ID? That's impossible. Every Saiyan sent on their first mission has an ID. Check the records for DNA match." Kakarrot said. Raimi came over and peered at the undecipherable markings on the screen that they were looking at. She couldn't read the patterns of geometric shapes, but could tell that they were alarmed by what they saw. The doctor looked at her, blinking his huge purple eyes. Kakarrot turned to her and shook his head.  


"This says that your family is an ancient one, as old as the Kings family. However, they are extinct, or so we thought. You are basically some kind of genetic aberration, which explains your height and power. Your hair, well, red hair is usually a sign of Royal blood, Elite blood at the least. All the Kings have had red or reddish hair. Some dyed their hair black, or the red was only visible in bright light, but that is one of the signs that we look for in the heir." He told her. Raimi's eyes were wide with disbelief. This was fascinating! Was the woman who used to own this skin the daughter of an Elite Saiyan? How was it that she was on the Earth then? So much to find out...  


"Well then Sensei, will you take me as your student? I would be honored if you will..."  


"Ninny, I have no choice! That blasted O-sama has ordered me to take you. As if that brat wasn't enough to try the patience of...Come on out, Vegeta. Meet your new classmate." Raimi turned as she heard a soft footfall behind her. She was met with a glowering, angry looking young man who was two inches shorter than her. His eyes and sharp cheekbones were different, but that brown, upswept hair and full mouth were inherited from his father. He bristled with fury at the Universe, and she was not on his good side, that was for sure.  


"So, I have to have my Sensei's focus divided between a girl and myself? Is my father mad, or does he want me to receive less than my due as heir?" He growled, his voice husky and dark. Raimi guessed his age to be about fifteen going on two, with that attitude.  


"Prince, you will not malign my new student, or myself in this fashion! I have more than enough strength to beat the both of you into shape! Now, for my amusement, Price Vegeta, why don't you RUN to my favorite spring and bring me some of that cool, clear water you know I enjoy so much. I do mean run too...GO!" The Prince hesitated for one second, sneered at Raimi, and left, running full out. She knew better than to wonder out loud if he would cheat and fly.  


"And as for you...come along. We need to toughen you up some, before I let the Prince come near you again. This is excellent, he was getting a little bored with his lessons, you will fire him up nicely."  



	16. Part XVI

So that was how Raimi's training started. She was led to an old Temple, almost as huge as the palace itself. It seemed that this monster of a building was the residence of her Sensei and now herself as well. It wasn't far from the palace, so the Prince stayed with his father. Kakarrot told her since Raimi apparently had no family, she could sleep in a corner; he was in a generous mood, despite having one more student foisted on him. Raimi was just happy to not have to stay near the Royal Highnesses. She didn't want to be near anyone of these Saiyans, they all made her nervous to the point of nausea.BR  
P  
Her first task was somewhat demeaning, but harder than it sounded. She was ordered to Isweep the floor/I of Kakarrot's Temple. Since the the floor in question was something like 200 meters across in either direction, this was not funny. And he told her to wear her armor the entire time. Oh, yeah, and be done in 90 minutes, or else. Ha ha.BR  
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After 80 minutes, Raimi was nearly finished, when Kakarrot magically appeared next to her. She was to find that he LOVED to do this to both her and the Prince, especially if he could make them jump. Any way, there he was, peering over her shoulder and nodding.BR  
P  
"I thought so. You missed a lot of spots. Well, now I have to make you do the laps. Ready?"BR  
P  
"Spots? What spots? You could eat off that floor, if you cared about cleanliness, which most Saiyans don't. And what do you mean "Laps"?" She said, then found herself sliding across the floor, her jaw throbbing. She hadn't even seen him swing much less hit her! He was over her, pulling her up by her collar.BR  
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"Never, ever back talk me about my orders to you. It's very VERY simple. Now then, if I may continue?" He said, without a trace of threat or malice in his voice. Raimi blinked and nodded, and he set her on her feet, as if her armored weight meant nothing to him. He turned and motioned for her to follow as he went outside. The suns were now high in the sky, which was bleached golden by their light. The air was very hot as well, understandably. Kakarrot turned and smiled a sweet smile at her with his ugly face. Raimi knew instantly that this smile was a sign of bad news, and always would be. She was right...BR  
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"Now then, you are new here, so...lets say you do twenty laps this time, what do you think?" He asked cheerfully. Raimi looked at him blankly.BR  
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"Your pardon, Sensei, but what exactly am I going to run around?" She asked. He pointed to the Temple behind them, and she went pale with shock. This humongous gigantic building, the one she had just swept like a frantic drudge? And in this heat? She smiled weakly at him and he turned her to face the left.BR  
P  
"Now then, my bothersome female, get going. I want to see you move too. On your way, I'll keep count." She took off. Ten minutes later, she reappeared, still running, but struggling in the heat and gravity. He stopped her; frowning at the obvious difficultly she was having just running.BR  
P  
"Where in the seven hells have you been all your life?" He snapped. She took a deep breath and shook her head.BR  
"Some...backwater planet with...one tenth the...gravity of Vegeta-sei...that's where. Sensei." She gasped. His eyes widened at this information.BR  
P  
"I see. Well then, get going. I will lower your laps to only ten, soooo you only have nine more to go. Get to it." She grimaced, and then took off again. By the time she was done with her laps, cheerfully counted by her sadistic Sensei, she was exhausted, and very thirsty. To add insult to injury, the grumpy Prince returned, and laughed at her, as she stood bent at the waist, panting and shaking. Kakarrot smiled and took a deep swallow of the water the Prince had fetched. Raimi felt her eyes go big and puppy-like at the sight of the container of water. She could smell it with her sensitive Saiyan nose, and thought she would die without it. The old warrior took pity on her and lifted her chin so he could pour some water down her parched throat. She sighed, and thanked him, then attempted to stand straight. The Prince stared at her, his face a mask of irritation. As they stood in silence, she noticed that the young Vegeta's light brown hair had strong red highlights in the light of the twin suns. After a moment, she realized that both men were staring at her intently.BR  
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"What now? Did I grow horns?" Raimi asked sarcastically. "One would think you've never seen a woman before..."BR  
"It's your hair. So very red. We should dye it black, so you don't get unwanted attention. The lesser Princes would love to claim an Elite female for a mate, or challenge you to a fight that you are in no way ready for." Kakarrot said thoughtfully. The Prince snorted.BR  
P  
"I can't believe she is so small and weak. And just how old are you anyway?" He sneered. Raimi didn't rise to the bait, but shrugged to indicate that she didn't know.BR  
P  
"The med report says that she is sixteen, one year older than you, Vegeta. Now then, be nice. It's time for more training. Ready, girl?" All Raimi felt ready for was a nap, but she nodded gamely and waited for instruction. It was simple enough. She was to climb the outside of the Temple and when she reached the top, turn so she was facing out over the city, and climb back down, backwards, as it were. Raimi gulped in fear at this new terror. She hated heights, and even if she could fly, she didn't want to see the world from that high up. Still, she bravely went to it.BR  
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She found that it wasn't as hard as she expected, and on her way down, she discovered that her body would move almost on its own, finding or even making its own hand and foot holds in the walls. This left her free to watch the sparring match between Kakarrot and young Vegeta. The Sensei was yelling instructions to his student, who nodded and yelled back, though Raimi couldn't make out what he was saying. She froze as a large bolt of Chi suddenly flew straight at her. She growled angrily, knowing that this was no accident. She unwrapped her tail, poking it painfully through a hole in the wall and used it to brace herself. She then raised her arms, holding her hands out, palms forward.BR  
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"You little Bakayaro! Try this one on, Brat!" She hissed, and a ball of Chi formed in her hands, and then shot out at the bolt. They met, combined, and arched off to the side, landing near the Princes feet. Both men jumped up and flew up to her.BR  
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"What the..." Kakarrot started, but the angry young Prince jumped in and let out a furious and near unintelligible stream of obscenity. Raimi crossed her arms, ignoring the terrible pain in her tail and glared at him as he hurled every curse word he could think of at her. He finally ran out of air, and she sighed.BR  
P  
"Are you finished? I have one thing to say. Kakarrot is right. You, Oji-sama, are a Brat, a Royal Brat, but a Brat nonetheless. Why don't go back to sparring with the Sensei now, and leave me out of it, Ok?" She sniffed and rubbed her nose, then resumed her downward climb, her tail hurting so bad that she could barely stand it. Above her, she heard a long silence, then a laugh from Kakarrot. Vegeta growled and started to shout again. She then heard a barked command, and he shot by her at mach 20. The two men resumed sparring, with Vegeta showing a lot of energy in his attacks.BR  
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Fifteen minutes later, Raimi made it to the ground. She shook her hands out then pulled her tail in front of her as she sat on the ground. There were some raw spots and some scrapes, which were bleeding quite nicely. She clenched her teeth as she inspected the wounds, noticing that the tail was bruised where she had used it to support her weight. She couldn't believe how much such little wounds hurt. She looked up as a shadow fell over her. It was the Brat (as she had named him in the privacy of her mind), and she wondered if he was going to kill her now. She was so tired and depressed, that she almost wished he would.BR  
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"I can't believe that you didn't fall. You hurt your self, rather than fall; Why?" He waved at her injured tail as he spoke. Raimi raised an eyebrow at him.BR  
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"Because, I'm tired, and I didn't want to climb this pile of rocks again. One thing I think I can guess is, our Sensei would make me climb it again if I cheated and flew, or let myself fall. So, I had no other choice." She said simply. He stared at her, his face unreadable. After a moment, he nodded and told her to follow him. He took her into the Temple and led her to a small room with some simple medical supplies on shelves and a table in the corner.BR  
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"Sit down, and I'll bind that up for you." He turned and got what he needed, while Raimi sat and wondered at this turn of events. He wasn't very gentle, but he was thorough, and she was glad when he bound her tail with flexible strips of some material that seemed to have pain killing properties. She wondered at the oddity of the Prince of all Saiyans dressing wounds on a lowly soldier. Of course he could do what he wanted, when he wanted.BR  
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"May I ask you a question, Oji-sama?" She said. He stiffened, and looked nervous, but nodded. "Why are our tails so sensitive? I mean if these scrapes were on my hands or something, I wouldn't bother to even dress them..." He looked relieved, and almost smiled at her. Suddenly his sullen face showed the promise of how handsome he would one day be. She almost blushed.BR  
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"Tails...Saiyan tails have something like eight glands and one minor but nonessential organ in them. These glands secrete steroids, endorphins and other such chemicals, which affect us in more ways than most Saiyans realize. The one effect that everyone understands is the reaction to moonlight. Without your tail, you can't change into an Ozura. However, some say that other things are affected as well. I slept through those theory lessons, so you need to find out those things for yourself." He led her back out of the room, and to her intense surprise, slammed his elbow into her belly. Raimi gasped, and dropped to one knee, one hand on her abdomen, the other gripping the wall. Her breath hissed through her teeth, and she looked up at him from under her bangs, puzzled by his change of mood. Vegeta leaned over her and now he did smile.BR  
P  
"That's for showing me up in front of Kakarrot. Hope you have a nice day!"BR 


	17. Part XVII

Raimi slowly fell into the routine in her new home. Kakarrot woke up at first light, so Raimi did too. He sent her out to the market for fresh food to make for breakfast. She found that the amount of food necessary for two hungry Saiyans was quite a workout to carry alone. After she returned, she worked out as his quiet servant, Oribu, made the first of their meals for the day. Her first work out for the day consisted of 5,000 repetitions each of chin-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and push-ups, first with one hand then the other. Then she had to lift various weights using only her Chi, and hold them up while the definitely-not-a-morning-person Prince Vegeta tried to distract her. His techniques were usually very painful, and at first, very effective for him. Raimi had many bruises for weeks from his enthusiasm for the assignment. She couldn't wait to return the favor, though she doubted she ever would.BR  
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After she was allowed to have breakfast, she made the run for Kakarrot's favorite spring water; if she took too long, then Kakarrot would assign her some laps around the Temple. The time it took her to get the water had been falling everyday, much to her Sensei's pleasure. She improved very quickly at every task she tried, which made her feel better about dealing with a whole planet full of battle hungry Saiyans.BR  
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After her run, she took a shower, and Kakarrot taught her about the history of the Saiyans, what as was known at least. She learned about the original Vejita, and how SHE was credited with the vegetable name trend for Saiyans, and about the three migrations to new planets. He explained about the strange differences between Saiyans and other humanoid races, physically, mentally, and psychically. He taught her to read both Saiya-go and Galactic Standard, and how to speak in the "Pure Tongue" of the Saiyans (It sure sounded like Earth-Japanese to her, but she couldn't tell him that).BR  
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She had asked about this fostering mentioned by the King, and Kakarrot explained that a lesser soldier had the right to demand better training from higher classed Saiyans, if they had even a trace of Elite blood. That way, the ranks of the Elite didn't get inbred or stagnant. Of course, the request could be denied, but it was expected that every Elite and First class warrior would foster at least one soldier. Raimi was the Kings only Seito, and would probably receive a lot of attention as her training ended. Most Kings fostered one of their own sons, and a daughter or other girl being fostered was almost unheard of. This King Vegeta had only the one son, and he had been fostered by Togarashi, and assigned to Kakarrot.BR  
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Kakarrot also taught her simple first aid, and when NOT to treat a Saiyan comrades' injury. It seemed that if someone was going to lose face by being helped off the field or treated in front of an opponent, then it was not "polite" to treat him. Also, even if he did ask for help, the field commander could decide to not allow treatment. Raimi thought that allowing people to die was wasteful, but since Saiyans had no real reverence for life at all, it made sense, in a way. If a warrior fell, he might not be useful enough to keep.BR  
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After her lessons, she went back to strength training, while Prince Vegeta and Kakarrot sparred. She watched them on the sly, trying to learn their moves, though her Sensei had ordered her to not try to fight until he declared her ready. This was hard, because the Prince was always picking on her, trying to get her to fight back. She held her tongue and her temper, with great difficulty. She really hated how he tried to slow her water runs in the beginning. He used to ambush her, and try to get the water bottle from her. She couldn't come back without it, so she did the only thing she could; she ran like mad. She had been lucky, since he hadn't been able to get the bottle away from her. At least, not yet; then again, maybe he wasn't really trying.BR  
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She worked on her balance, and improving her keen senses, and toughening her hands so she could fight when Kakarrot finally allowed her to. Then it was back to the market for dinner, which was never big enough for Raimi, and some more casual talk about whatever she was curious about with Kakarrot. After dinner, she was free until morning, able to do as she wanted. She rarely left the Temple though, not wanting to get to know anyone, or get the attention of the wrong people. Instead, she usually climbed to the top of the tallest tower of the Temple, and watched the city, sometimes through a spyglass she had found in the market. She would sit up there for hours, waiting for the double sunset, and wondering how it went on Chikyu.BR  
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Kurilin nervously stood before the door to the room Raimi had last gone into. She hadn't come out for two weeks; he and Yamcha were getting worried about her. He knocked on the bronze door, and to his surprise, Kami-sama opened it.  
"Kurilin! Is something wrong?" He asked, looking a little tired. Kurilin smiled shakily.BR  
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"No, but I was wondering, is Raimi alright? We haven't seen her in a long time now..." He felt odd, with Kami looking at him like he shouldn't be there. But the god sighed and let him enter.BR  
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"She is still traveling, Kurilin. She won't be back for a while. Come, and look at her, so you can say to Yamcha that you saw her and she is ok, at least I think she is, it is sometimes hard to tell..." Kami said enigmatically. Kurilin followed him, and gasped when he saw her, lying in the sigil. Her hair was spilling over the pad she lay upon; her hands were folded on her belly. She looked like she was sleeping; only she was transparent, almost completely opaque. He could see the pad beneath her, and the sigil glowed through her. Kurilin started to go to her, when Kami stopped him.BR  
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"Don't go into the circle. She is alive, and doing well. The sigil will signal if she is doing poorly. It's her mind I worry about. She is going through a lot there, and is more alone than you'd think. She should be Ok, but still, it's very intense training, and she has a fellow student...let's just say he's not very nice."BR  
P  
"She's alive? But she's see-through! I can't tell if she's breathing, but she doesn't look very alive." Kurilin said. Kami sighed. It was weird looking, he admitted. He himself had never used this room before, a previous Kami created it thousands of years before, and he knew how it worked only because of his role and the knowledge he had inherited for it. He wasn't really sure how long he could leave her here, but he hoped the sigil would warn him to get her before it was too late...BR 


	18. Part XVIII

Back on Vegeta-sei, Raimi was four months into her training, and getting frustrated. She hadn't been taught any moves, or how to fight, how to defend, nothing but strength building. She knew she was very strong, possibly stronger than her Sensei, but he still wasn't allowing her to defend against the Brat, who was a malicious little bastard at best. He was always around her it seemed, trying to trip her, hitting her, trying to push her into a fight. She really hated him, and wanted to wipe the Temple floor with his face. She didn't care if his father killed her, it would feel soooo good while she did it, and it would be worth it. Besides, she had the distinct impression that King Vegeta didn't care for his son very much, and wouldn't care if she did hurt him.BR  
P  
The King sometimes came to see the progress of his son and Seito, with Togarashi in tow. He was disappointed when he saw that Kakarrot had indeed dyed Raimi's crimson hair black; he seemed to like its unusual color, but agreed with Kakarrot's explanation that she would be safer with black hair and a brown tail. She was nervous when he was around; he always looked at her intently. She began to wonder if he had some kind of etchi thoughts about her, the way his eyes looked her up and down. Still, he seemed kind enough, and gave Kakarrot money for her to spend on her free days.BR  
P  
So on one of these free days that Kakarrot occasionally gave her (More for his own use than hers, she suspected), Raimi went to the Market for some shopping. The King was most generous; she could have bought a house with his "allowance", and she wanted some trinkets for Bulma and the guys. She wandered in the narrow alleys, amazed by all the things for sale or trade. All kinds of items from all across the galaxy were available, most at decent prices, which was good, because she loved a good bargain.BR  
P  
She bought various snacks along her way, intending to take the time to find really good stuff for her friends. She found a wonderful little blue dogi, intended for a Saiyan child, but it was perfect for Chauzu, with golden dragons on the front. Then she saw some antique wristbands, made of some very tough material, colored green and bronze for Tenshinhan. She also found a box that projected a hologram of a woman dancing, who looked exactly like Bulma, which she bought for Yamcha. He could look at it when they were broken up, as they often were.BR  
P  
She was looking for something for Kurilin, when the crowd got louder, then hushed quickly. She ducked behind a booth, and saw a group of armored Saiyans, wearing those silly little capes, and with the crest of Vegeta-sei on their breastplates. She could see that the merchants, many of whom weren't Saiyans, were scared to death of these men. She could guess why. They took things off the tables as they went, rarely paying for them, and sometimes pushing the merchants out of their way as they went. She saw that one of them, a large boy of maybe seventeen, was especially rude. His hair swept up, like the Kings, but not as thick. He wore a thin moustache that drooped down to his chin; she thought he looked familiar.BR  
P  
"Nappa! Looky here at this one!" She stiffened at the name. She knew who he was, all right. It was one of the Saiyans headed to her Earth in her time! Of course he'd be bald by then... She started to shake with anger and frustration. She wanted to get rid of him right now, but couldn't do it; the future would be changed beyond repair if she did. Besides, she was not ready to tangle with an Elite warrior yet. She watched as he and one of the others loomed over a slender blonde woman running one of the booths.BR  
P  
The woman stared up at them, not showing her fear. The lesser Princes had the right to do as they pleased, and the people could do nothing to them for the crimes they committed. Now she was the target, and no one could or would help her.BR  
P  
"Hey, you're cute! Wanna be an Elites girl?" Nappa sneered. She didn't respond, so he leaned in closer. She blinked at his large eyes, only inches from hers. "I asked you a question...maybe you didn't hear me?"BR  
P  
"Maybe, but I think she just doesn't like you, Nappa." Raimi stepped out, unable to stomach this scene. She had realized that the woman was a Saiyan, a blonde Saiyan! Even if she wasn't ready to fight him, she wanted to stop this situation if at all possible. Nappa turned to look at her, sneering. She smiled sweetly.BR  
P  
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt? I didn't mean to stop your, uh, courtship. Still, you shouldn't bother girls like this. It's not becoming to force women; after all, you're a Saiyan Elite, pushing little girls around is beneath you." She said, leaning against the wall, looking unconcerned. Now he was stuck, what she said was true, and made it seem that he was unattractive to women, and had to force himself on them. He was going to lose face because of this, if he didn't think of something to say.BR  
P  
"I thought she might want to better herself, being with an Elite is a dream to most girls..." He said. The other men were mumbling quietly, then went silent, as Raimi felt the King's presence. She went pale, but didn't move. The people cowered, and the Elites and Princes stood at attention. Only Raimi and the blonde stayed as they were.BR  
P  
"Hmm, what's happening here? Well, well, look at this; it's my Seito and Nappa, engaged in conversation. How are you, Raimi-san?" Raimi swallowed uneasily. By using Isan/I, he had just showed her to be in his favor, and let it be known that she was off limits for the usual fun and games of the lesser princes. There was a general gasp from the crowd.BR  
P  
Nappa cleared his throat. He had heard of the Kings female Seito, but he'd never seen her. He realized that he was in big trouble here. He didn't want to lose the favor he had been enjoying from both the King and the other Elites.BR  
P  
"We were just discussing the merits of being an Elites mate, O-sama." Nappa said carefully. The King frowned. Togai appeared, and scowled at Raimi's casual demeanor before the King. She nodded to him and looked back to Nappa.BR  
P  
"Really? And just who was to be mated?" He said quietly. His eyes were blazing. Now Nappa went pale; both he and Raimi looked like ghosts by now. Neither one of them wanted to make the King mad, but he was obviously loosing his famous temper.BR  
"Uh, I was asking this merchant girl about her status, when this girl..."BR  
P  
"That's Raimi, my Seito, Nappa. So she interrupted your conversation, did she?" The King turned his gaze back to Raimi. His attitude seemed to be cheerful once more. She nodded and flicked her eyes to the petrified blonde. The King didn't really care about her, so he turned back to Nappa. "I guess old Kakarrot needs to work on her manners. Well, why don't you men get back to your day off? NOW." He said; his smile was back, cold as ice. Nappa and the others bowed, and left. The King turned to the blonde and she looked down at his toes.BR  
P  
"Look up at me, girl." He ordered. She did so, and he sighed. "Take some advice for free. Dye your hair, Burondo-sama. You wont be so luck next time, be assured of that. Raimi!" She stepped up to his side and bowed her head.BR  
P  
"Why did you put your nose into this situation? It was none of your business." He snapped, not pleased with this spectacle. Raimi looked up at him, angry at his attitude. That he'd saved her hide just made her more annoyed.BR  
P  
"I don't think that the princes should be allowed to bully the populous. I can take action to protect myself, while this girl cannot. So, I stepped in. Besides, I didn't like Nappa's face. I felt that he needed an attitude adjustment, Vegeta-O-sama." She said, and crossed her arms over her chest in the classic Saiyan "So-there" gesture. To everyone's surprise, the King began to laugh. He snapped his fingers, and a lackey magically appeared with a large purse in hand. The King took it and handed it to the startled merchant girl, then took Raimi's arm. She was forced to walk with him as he headed down the lane, Togai in tow.BR  
P  
"That was the best answer you could give, Little Girl. Come, I'll buy you lunch."BR 


	19. Part XVIIII

After a gigantic meal back at the Palace, Raimi was introduced to the current Queen (Whose name was never given), a tall frail looking woman. She was very pretty, but Raimi could tell that she wasn't going to be Queen for much longer. She wasn't the Brats mother; that Queen had died before he was two, right after he was weaned. It was just accepted that the King had had her killed, so he could try for another heir with even more power than the Brat had. However, no other children were born. This Queen seemed very timid in the presence of her mate, deferring to him totally, and she scurried away as soon as she was able. Raimi was sad for her. She excused her self and followed her. She found the woman staring out over the city, eyes full of sorrow.BR  
P  
"My Lady, are you all right?" Raimi asked her. The Queen smiled and turned to her.BR  
"I am as fine as I can be, Raimi-san. You feel that I am unhappy?" Her soft voice was kind, as if Raimi was the one who needed comforting.BR  
P  
"Well, yes. You look so sad, and the rumors..." Raimi said bluntly. The Queens eyes widened, and then she took Raimi's hand. She squeezed it, showing Raimi that she was not as weak as she appeared.BR  
P  
"Come, I must tell you something." She led Raimi to her chamber, singing softly under her breath. With a start, Raimi recognized it as "Song of the Siren", a song she had known on her old Earth. She felt goose bumps rise on her body at this realization. (The song is by This Mortal Coil)BR  
The Queens chamber was sumptuous, beautifully decorated. She had Raimi sit and paced the room as she spoke.BR  
P  
"I know what the rumors say. But, they are wrong. The Queen before myself was much younger than Vegeta. He had been unable to sire an heir with two other women, and he had finally decided to marry the woman he felt he could rule with. He won't say it, but he fell in love with one of the Elite Princesses, and she loved him as well. They were married, and to both of their surprise, they conceived the Oji that you train with. He was very powerful, even at birth. I know, I was her best friend, and I was there." She said, stopping at a table with a silver vase holding a single black rose on it.BR  
P  
"They were so pleased to have finally provided Vegeta-sei with the all important heir, and they were happy with each other. But the counselors started to say that it wasn't proper for the King to be so openly affectionate with his family. They said he looked weak to his people, who in fact knew nothing of what went on here in the Palace. He ignored their warnings, and he didn't dispose of the counselors, which he should have done. They are the ones who killed her, but only after the little Prince was weaned off his mothers milk. Being weaned early, you see, might have weakened him and she was very strong. The King once told me she was even stronger than himself, but only because she had been a warrior, and had fought, and been wounded as much as any male Elite Saiyan.  
P  
"So you see, while Vegeta seems to be so cold, so deadly, he is dead inside. He died the same day she did. He can't stand to look at the Oji, because he has his mothers' eyes. He is my mate, and I care for him very much. I know that he seems to not care for me, but he spends every night with me, and he talks freely to me. I know he cares too; he just can't show it anymore. So don't worry about me, little warrior, worry for yourself."BR  
P  
Raimi blinked in surprise at these words. "Why me, My Queen?"BR  
"Because I know your secret. I'm far more intelligent than the others are." She said, smiling without a trace of arrogance. "You are too strong. Your DNA hasn't matched any one living Saiyan, but could come from TWO different families. This can only mean one thing; you are a traveler from the future."BR  
P  
Raimi felt her jaw drop in shock. She wanted to deny it, but saw the kindness in the Queens eyes, and felt that she could trust her. "You are right, my Lady. Please, I don't want anyone to know, or the future could be compromised. The things I know are very dangerous, and could be used by anyone for anything." She sighed and looked at her hands. "Do you know which families these two are? The ones I probably come from?"BR  
P  
"Yes, but I won't tell you. If you don't know already, there is surely a reason why. Now, you should go, and Good Luck, little Senshi." The Queen said, speaking with the authority only years of command could give to someone. Raimi, obeying that voice, bowed and left, her mind spinning at this news.BR  
P  
After she returned to the Temple, Raimi sat and looked over her purchases in the room she had claimed for herself, and felt homesick for Chikyu-sei. She missed the calm blue sky and her friends. And she was so confused by the Queens story, both about the King and about herself. As she looked at the little holo of Bulma's double, she decided that she was going to push for the lessons in fighting. Kakarrot had to start soon, or she would have no time left before the invading Saiyans came to Chikyu-sei...BR  
P  
"What is this I hear, that you almost got into it with Nappa? I told you not to fight! What were you going to do, tongue lash him into submission?" Kakarrot roared from the entrance to the Temple. She came out of her room to meet him.BR  
P  
"No, I was going to disobey you for what I considered a good cause. I would have been creamed, because my Sensei won't actually TEACH me anything, but I would still have tried. By the way are you EVER going to teach me how to fight?" Raimi asked sarcastically. He was suddenly right in front of her, and swung to hit her, but she saw it and caught his fist. Her feet slid along the floor from his arms momentum, but she stopped him. He stared at her, realizing that she was not only ready, she was possibly stronger than he was.BR  
P  
"Listen to me, Kakarrot. I am tired of playing games. I am tired of just doing aerobics while the Brat picks on me and tries to kill me. I think it's time to move on, don't you agree?" Raimi said, her voice as quiet and deadly as the Kings could be. Kakarrot didn't answer, so she let go of him and turned to leave. She stopped and suddenly powered up, sending a ball of Chi into the shadows. Kakarrot watched as Prince Vegeta leapt out of the area of the blast, and she ran over to him. She swept his feet from under him, and stomped on his chest.BR  
P  
"And you, I'm going to return every punch, kick and poisonous word you have ever sent my way, you understand? I am more than ready to kick you all over this planet, but I NEED this training, so I will wait. Don't touch me again, got that?" She snarled in his stunned face. She leapt up, and flew out one of the huge windows. The Prince jumped up and started to follow, but Kakarrot stopped him.BR  
P  
"No, Vegeta. We both have been hard on her, and she deserves her chance. And she is right about you; you really worked her over, these last months. Leave her alone." The Prince scowled, but appeared to respect his Sensei's wishes. He walked out of the Temple as Kakarrot stared out the windows at the blazing sunsets.BR  
P  
Raimi didn't go far, she only went up to the top tower, her usual spot. She ground her teeth, trying not to cry. She hated it here! She wanted to go home. She put one hand over her eyes as she sank to her knees. Why did Kakarrot make her wait for so long? And why did the Brat hate her so? She sighed and moved to sit with her feet over the edge, and then looked up over the city. She didn't even know its name; maybe it didn't even have one. Her education was only geared to combat, like all Saiyans. She wondered about that blonde girl in the market, and about whether Nappa was going to try to kill her for her interference with his...BR  
P  
"Hey, Raimi!" She straightened her back and took a deep breath.BR  
"I don't care to talk to you, Oji. Just go away; for once just leave me alone." She hissed. Of course he ignored her. He stood behind her, making her wonder if he was going to try to push her off or something.BR  
"Listen, I...I just have to say..." He paused.BR  
P  
"You aren't sorry, I know you aren't. And you don't like me at all, so don't try to tell me you do." Raimi sighed. He glared at the back of her head, wondering why he was there. She was right, but she didn't know why he disliked her so much. He thought it was because he had to share the only person who seemed to want him around with her. He thought of Kakarrot as his father, more than the man who was his flesh and blood. Kakarrot seemed to like her more than him, and he resented it, resented her for it.BR  
P  
Raimi sighed and forced herself to remember that he had been denied all the love and care that made people kind. He didn't know how to be nice, or have friends; it wasn't his fault, if the Queen was to be believed. Her anger at him lessened, but didn't go away. He still was a Royal Pain in the behind. But she could sympathize too. She turned her back to him, not really caring if her was there or not. "I have to finish my training, I have to get back." She murmured.BR  
P  
"Get back to where?" He asked curiously, but she didn't answer. They stood there, watching the suns set, side-by-side, yet totally alone.BR 


	20. Part XX

The next day, Kakarrot started her combat training. She spent every day sparring with him, or working on her Chi forms. He taught her to form his attacks, but she was expected to create her own and name them soon. She still spent a few hours in strength training, since the Brat could not be neglected, but she was happy with the change in curriculum. She didn't even mind that the Brat watched her sparring with their Sensei, since she had done the same, and he even rooted for her when she was struggling with the crafty old Kakarrot.BR  
P  
She improved very quickly, partly due to her intense desire to do so, and partly because she had been trained before, and her body started to remember this training. Kakarrot pretty much confirmed this, telling her that sometimes Saiyans returned from their first assignments with little or no memory of what had happened to them. It was discovered that some of them had indeed been trained before their programming had kicked in, or they saw a full moon. These Saiyans needed what he called "Immersion Therapy", which gave them social skills and knowledge of Vegeta-sei's past and so forth. They could only get the finishing training they needed after this treatment, and some of them always used different combat techniques than the traditional Saiyan moves, no matter what. Raimi showed signs of previous training as well. But to her surprise, Kakarrot claimed that she seemed to have been trained by another Saiyan. She couldn't believe it; the only other Saiyan on Chikyu-sei was Goku, or was he the only one? After all, where was this body born, anyway? It would have to wait; she had too much to learn right now.BR  
P  
After a month, she was given a free day, and went to the market to find the blonde girl. She found her at the same stall, still blonde. She smiled and the girl smiled back.BR  
"I'm so glad you came back, I wanted to give you the Kings purse. I don't really want it." She said. Raimi refused it.BR  
P  
"No, I can't. I don't see the King that much, but if he does find it on me, well...what's your name?" Raimi asked.BR  
P  
"Cali. I wanted to thank you. Those men are going wild all over the planet; no one is safe. You were so brave, standing up to Nappa that way; he's one of the strongest Saiyans ever!" She said. Raimi smiled wryly. She knew that she was only saved by the King, but she didn't need to tell Cali that.BR  
P  
"It was nothing. That do you sell here?" She ended up spending most of the day there, and tried to spend her money, since Cali had lots of nice things for sale, but the girl kept giving her things and refusing payment for them. She laughed when Raimi told her she should dye her hair, as the King had said. She was actually a competent warrior, but didn't like to fight. She was only third class, but she had been on quite a few missions while she was younger. She wasn't really worried anymore anyway. Word was out to not bother her or the King would punish who ever did attack her. Later, as Raimi slowly walked back to the Temple, she smiled, and felt better about things for the first time in months. It was a relief to find that there were good Saiyans after all. Then she remembered something that was bothering her, and took a chance on going to the Palace, hoping to avoid the King.BR  
P  
She found the Physician easily, and asked him her question. She needed to find out if there was any way to prevent the Ozura transformation, other than the removal of her tail. The doctor surprised her with an affirmative. It seemed that the ladies of the court didn't enjoy transforming into huge ugly apes, and so they had commissioned various doctors to find a way to stop it. He shuffled over to a drawer and produced seven small golden bangles. She took them from him curiously, and stared at the short needles sticking out of them. Who wanted to have needles poking into their wrists, and who had wrists this small anyway? Even her small bones were too big for these. She heard the Physician chuckle.BR   
P  
"Uh, no...you put these...on your tail!" He said, as she stared at him in horror. He explained that the needles were for acupuncture, and that the bangles each had a small computer in them, that placed them in the right spot to place the needles just so. Once in, the needles put the glands in the tail to sleep, preventing the reaction to moonlight. There were also acupressure points on them for safety's sake; he showed her how to put them on, approximately every 20 cm down her tail. She didn't feel any discomfort, and smiled when he offered her a "ceremonial" set, cast in silver with tiny bells on them. Now she was almost ready to go home! Of course, she thought that Piccolo had destroyed the Moon by now, but it paid to be safe.BR  
P  
Kakarrot stepped up her training, sparring with her every minute he wasn't training the Brat, and making the Brat spar with her too. Sometimes they teamed up on her, giving her the experience she needed to face many opponents at once. Still, she worried that this wasn't enough to prepare for the Saiyans on their way to Chikyu-sei. All she could do was hope in that regard. Then one day, she felt fate start to laugh at her.BR  
P  
She was sweeping the Temple, singing an old blues song to herself. She wasn't paying attention, so when the Brat popped up next to her she wasn't prepared for it. She glared at him as he kicked dirt out of the neat pile she had made. He looked at her challengingly.BR  
P  
"Hey, Chibi, wanna spar?" He asked. She shook her head.BR  
"Kakarrot said no sparring unless he's here. He's at the Palace, so, no sparring, got it?" He was now taller that she was, having had a massive growth spurt in the last year that had left him still much shorter than his father. Though Raimi had also grown a little, he was now able to lean over her, intimidating with his height.BR  
P  
"Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh, you're scared? We both know that you have outgrown his teaching, same as me. I say, spar now, or I'll just beat on you. And no one will care if I do." He sneered. She looked up at him, trying to control her temper. He had made no secret of his dislike for her, but she had never really figured out why.BR  
P  
"Well?" He said, just before he swung at her. She countered the swing with her broom, and then jumped back, pulling off her loose outer garments to leave herself in the stretch suit she wore underneath. He had an advantage in that he wore armor, but she didn't care. It was time to fight back, and she was going to make him pay for all the bruises, cuts and curses. They went at it like tigers, not bothering to follow the rules of sparring. This was a fight, and they were going all out.BR  
P  
The battle had raged for a half-hour by the time Kakarrot returned. He heard them, the sounds of fists on flesh and grunts of effort and pain unmistakable. He ran into the main chamber and stared in amazement at the damage they had done to each other. Both were hunched over, indicating cracked and broken ribs to him, and both limped slightly, their legs probably badly bruised, or even broken with hairline fractures. The Prince had one eye swollen shut, and Raimi's mouth had a trail of blood running down her chin. They panted like they had run a marathon, and he could see that they were tired, but refused to give in to each other. He opened his mouth to call them off, when the Brat swung at Raimi's face. She caught the fist in her palm, and then smiled wickedly.BR  
P  
"Try again!" She hissed painfully. It was hard to breathe with broken ribs, but she was pleased with herself so far. She had been able to ignore the pains in her body, and focus on the fight, on staying alive. And The Brat sure did seem to be trying to kill her. The floor was littered with debris from all the Chi blasts he had sent at her. She had held back for the most part, but had used a few as well. Now, she wondered if that reaction that had happened with Tien would happen here too.BR  
P  
"I...Hate You!" The Brat growled and swung again. Again she caught the fist in her palm, and pushed at him. They stood like that, pushing with all their strength. Sure enough Raimi felt it start, the heat and the pain, but it was less, easier to bear somehow. She bared her teeth, playfully growling at him as her Chi exploded around her in huge blue-violet flames.BR  
P  
"What the! What are you doing?" The Brat gasped, realizing that she was getting stronger somehow. Kakarrot punched his scouter and stared in shock as her level shot up past the Princes in less than thirty seconds.BR  
P  
"That's enough! Stop!" He roared, but they didn't heed him; he realized that he didn't have the power to make them obey him anymore. He had to try anyway, for the Princes sake at least. The King would kill him if the Prince was hurt or killed. He powered up, but Raimi pushed the Prince away violently. They panted, then he blurred out. Kakarrot saw that she actually Iclosed/I her eyes, and turned to block the blow aimed at her back, as if she knew where he'd be. He still had tricks up his sleeve, though, and swept her feet out from under her, causing Raimi to fall onto her back, cursing. He leapt onto her, and held his hand palm forward in her face.BR  
P  
"Yield bitch, or else!" He snarled. Raimi had no intention of doing so, and put her hands together behind his neck. It almost looked like she was going to pull him close for a kiss, but she began to whisper instead.BR  
P  
"Forgive me, Roshi, but I need this! IKameI/..."BR  
"What?" Kakarrot murmured as he saw the readings on his scouter. He didn't understand what was going on.BR  
P  
"...IHa...Me-Ha/I!" Raimi said, yelling the last as the brilliant white light erupted in her cupped hands, and then she let it fly. It soared up to the ceiling, making the Brat turn to look at it, then descended back at them both. He jumped up, pulling free from her arms and blocked, instinct telling him that this beam was big trouble. He inadvertently blocked for Raimi as well, who had lost control of the beam. It hit the Prince's crossed arms and went off...BR 


	21. Part XXI

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXI Raimi woke slowly, feeling warm. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw everything colored bluish. She realized quickly that she was in an Isolation Chamber. What had happened? She slowly looked around, trying to piece it together; The Brat blocking her Kamehameha, the amazing damage done to the Temple, Kakarrot carrying both of them under his arms like dolls, and the Physician squealing in terror when the King arrived...Oops! That couldn't be good if the King was here. He couldn't be happy about this little fight. She sensed the Brat next to her, also in a tank; there seemed to be many Saiyans in tanks down the long narrow room, actually. She turned her head to her right and her eyes widened as they fell on...Goku!  


"There's no way! That can't be Goku! He's so young!" Raimi thought. He looked about ten years old, but the hair, and that beautiful face...it was he! She was dizzy thinking about the possibility of it.  


"Raimi? Uh, are you awake?" She heard the Doctor's voice in the fluid of the tank. She nodded, and then tried to say she was fine, but the air mask wouldn't let her speak. He appeared in front of her, a thick green robe over one slender pink arm. She realized that she was naked in the clear blue water, and yelped in embarrassment. The Physician hit a button and the fluid began to drain away, leaving her dripping wet, her hair plastered to her body. She was surprised to see that her hair and her tail, both dyed dark by Kakarrot, were once more red. She wondered if the stuff in the tank had removed the dye. The Physician pulled the mask off, and held out the robe, waiting as she pulled it on over her slightly sticky skin.  


"Let's check you out. The Prince really worked you over." She looked up at the sound of her Sensei's voice. Kakarrot's face was grim, and he followed her into the examination room quietly, not looking at her. The Physician declared her fit, and sent her to wash the tank fluid off. When she came out, she found Kakarrot waiting with new armor in his hand.  


"The King is holding a celebration in honor of your graduation, AFTER you defeat a Saiyan warrior in the ring. You have one more week to train for this little event. The Prince is to train with Nappa for the time being." Raimi paled at this news. She began to dress, ignoring Kakarrot's presence despite her nudity. She noted the armors heavier weight, and just knew that she was probably facing Nappa himself in this fight. She asked if he knew whom she was to fight.  


"Yes, his name is Potah. Togai said you would know him; he said he was your first acquaintance here." Raimi stared at him blankly, then she laughed, relieved that it wasn't Nappa or the Brat himself.  


"Oh yes I remember. He's a tough one. Is there any way I can find out about him?" Kakarrot nodded and led her to the Temple, where he showed her a room (He had more hidden rooms in that place!) with a computer in it; she could access any Saiyans profile and history from here, except the King, the Prince's and her own. She typed in Potah's name, and was alarmed to see that he'd nearly been killed twice since she had met him. His power level would be much higher than she remembered, and indeed the record showed that he was now at mid Elite level. She would not have that much advantage with her strength, skill and cunning was on his side. She had to work hard to prepare for this challenge.  


Kakarrot pushed her hard, letting her eat only once a day, and letting her sleep for a mere five hours. She was tired and starved, and in a black mood, but she was improving rapidly. Kakarrot made her hold her power down as far as he thought she could, closer to his level so he could compete. He didn't ask her how she had made her power rise so high so fast in that fight with the Brat. He didn't want to believe he had even seen that happen. It wasn't possible to level up that fast, so he had to have been mistaken.  


The evening of the fifth day, he stood in the doorway of her room, watching as she slept, so tired that she wouldn't have heard bombs going off right next to her. In her sleep, he could see her youth; remember that she was only seventeen years old now. She looked sad, worried too, as if this fight was scaring her. He knew that it wasn't, she was ready for it; so what bothered her so? He left her and went to watch the moonrise. It wasn't full, and wouldn't be for years, but all Saiyans liked to see the moon and be thankful for the gifts the Moon gave. It was one small indulgence to the soft side they all had and hid away from even themselves.  


The night before the Duel, as Kakarrot called it, he took Raimi to the Palace and put her into the tank. She needed some healing and also the deep rest it could provide. She needed it after the near constant battling with her Sensei, and the lack of food or sleep. She was in it until dawn, when the Physician came and released her. He led her to the shower, and when she emerged, she was surprised to see the Queen waiting for her.  


"My Lady! Why are you here?" She gasped. The Queen smiled and waved at Raimi's hair.  


"You cannot fight in public with that red hair. Too many think of you as black haired. Come, I'll dye it for you." She led Raimi in her green robe to her own chambers, where she dyed both Raimi's hair and tail to proper Saiyan colors. She pulled the hair on either side of her face into three braids, and then pulled these and the rest of her hair up on top of her head. The Queen braided all of it together, letting the fat ponytail fall down her back.  


"This is the classic fighting style of the women who don't crop their hair. The Prince's mother wore her hair like this. I also have a special gift for you." She went to the wall and pressed on a panel. The panel opened, and she pulled a battered case out of the space in the wall. Raimi looked at it with interest. It was old, very old, and was marked with the symbol or crest of the Royal Family of Vegeta-sei.  


"What is this, my Queen?" She asked. The Queen smiled.  


"HER armor. The Armor worn by the first true Queen of Vegeta-sei, the very first Vegeta. She spelled it Vejita, but she was the first to bear the name. She was small like you are, by all accounts. The armor of her day expanded, just as ours does, so it's hard to know for sure. I want you to take it." The Queen said, her voice tight with emotion, as if she spoke of a close friend, not a woman long dead. Raimi took the case reverently.  


"I can't believe it, Queen Vejita's armor? Really?" She opened it, and smelled it; the musky scent of Saiyan. Her eyes closed, and she could almost see the girl in question, small, pretty, and sad. She felt her, believed that the young Queen would approve of her wearing this armor during her trial. She smiled through the tears that had come to her eyes.  


"Thank you so much! I will be honored to wear this armor, but it might be hurt if I do, this guy has a vendetta against me, you know." She said, hoping the Queen didn't take it away. The Queen only smiled and told her about the technology that had gone into the case itself. It would repair the armor if it were damaged, which wasn't likely. It was much more flexible and strong than most modern armor, though Korudo-sama's scientists had begun to come close to these ancient materials, two thousand years after they were lost to the Universe. Raimi needed no more encouragement, and pulled on the black full body suit, then the gold tipped white boots, and the gloves, before letting the armor drop over her shoulders. She adjusted it for comfort, and smiled at how lightweight it was. It was white with a tan back and epaulettes, and had short white fur trim at the seams. It was elegant, and looked like a woman's armor. She turned to the full-length mirror, and was amazed at her appearance. She hadn't seen a mirror in a long time, and she looked so different from the last time she had seen herself.  


Her body was leaner, more slender, yet the armor made her look broad shouldered. She was very toned, muscular, but not too much. The black hair looked strange, and made her face very pale; her eyes were brilliant green and she had a slightly wild expression. She looked very much the part of a Saiyan warrior. The Queen stepped into view, towering over her.  


"All the women of Vegeta-sei will be watching you today. I know you'll do us proud. Take it with you when you leave, and wear it with pride." She said, resting her slender hand on Raimi's shoulder. They waited for the signal to go, both lost in thought.  



	22. Part XXII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXII Kakarrot waited with her, sizing up the crowd there to see the Duel. It was as large as he had expected; after all this was a fight between the first lieutenant of the first division, and the Kings own Seito, his sponsored pupil. The fact that the Seito in question was a woman only added to the excitement and curiosity of the Saiyans gathered out there. He turned to her, and smiled as he saw that Raimi was sitting quietly, eyes closed as she tried to ignore the crowd. He tapped her shoulder, and told her that it was time to go out to the ring.  


Once she was out there, she stood defiantly, arms crossed, eyes focused on the Royal Box, staring at the King and Queen. Both watched her in return, and she felt them brush her mind with the limited telepathy that Saiyans could use with each other. She was surprised and flattered at both their unshakable faith in her. She hoped she could live up to it.  


Her opponent strode into the ring, smiling confidently. He still wore that silly half cape, and was still looking cocky. She didn't smile, or allow herself to show any emotion, not yet. She did start to loosen up, stretching her arms and legs, even flexing her tail, just in case. He laughed at her, but she knew he was nervous, she could smell it on him, like an animal might. Well they were probably even then, since she was nervous as well. She noted that he wore only trunks under his armor with the full girds, and heavy boots, with weighted wrist braces. She frowned as she realized that the weighted braces would make his blows heavier too. Well, she felt it beneath her to dress as he was, she wanted to look graceful as well as protected.  


The King stood, and the crowd fell silent. He looked at Raimi, and then bent his fierce gaze upon the hapless Potah.  


"You are here to test your combat skills. You are not to break the rules of combat, namely; no eye gouging, no hits below the belt, no tail grabbing. This fight is not to the death unless both of you agree to make it so, either now or later in the fight. Now, prepare yourselves..." He lifted his arm, and both combatants dropped into their ready stances.  


Raimi eyed Potah evenly; looking for any flaws in his posture, and tells in his gaze, as Kakarrot had instructed her. The King dropped his arm, and Potah leapt at her, not waiting for her to move first. She waited until he was in her face, then moved aside, punching at the side of his head. He ducked and punched her in the belly. Raimi winced, but he wasn't going all out yet, so it didn't hurt too badly. She countered by grabbing the back of his neck and slamming Potah's face into her raised knee. He growled as he spit out a mouthful of blood. She smiled slightly and jumped back. They faced each other again, and circled warily.   


Potah was surprised by her show of force so soon. He liked to toy with his opponents, especially since he had gained so much power in the last year. He liked to throw his weight around, and loved to bully anyone he could. He remembered Raimi from her first day on Vegeta-sei, and had been eager to show her who was the boss. Now he found that she was the King's pet, and that she was stronger than he had thought. He could have sworn that her hair was a different color too, but that was hardly important now.  


Raimi was looking for weaknesses in his style, and finding a few. She had no idea if she could exploit them yet, but it was better than nothing. He wasn't really all that great, but he did have years of experience on her. This meant a lot more than all her strength, and she was expected to show her fighting skills, not just blow him away.   


He launched another attack just then, and they traded blows at hyper speed, making the lower class warriors wide-eyed with amazement. Potah kept aiming for her face, and she blocked these blows, but hardly bothered with the blows that landed on her body. Queen Vejita's armor protected her very well; she didn't really even feel the hits he did make. She leapt back and charged up a _Ki_ ball and sent it at him, but he deflected it, only to realize that she had disappeared. He looked around; she appeared behind him and kicked his head. His jaws snapped shut as he stumbled forward. Raimi followed and sent a roundhouse kick at his rear.  


Potah recovered faster than she expected, and grabbed her leg, pulling her off balance. Raimi planted her other foot in the soft floor, and using her momentum, swung him around her with her captured leg. He was startled by this unexpected move, and she was able to punch him square in the nose. He released her leg to grab his nose. Raimi stepped back, resettling herself to wait for his next move. Kakarrot nodded his approval from the Royal box, and she noticed that Nappa and the Brat had also joined the King and Queen. She moved her eyes back to the now furious Potah, and saw that he was going to be reckless because of his anger.  


"Relax, Potah. You're useless if you get angry..." Raimi reminded him. He just got angrier, and came after her again. Raimi stopped hedging, and actively tried to get through his guard. She kicked at Potah's side, and he jumped back, and then closed in again. He swung at her jaw, and she blocked it, while blocking the blow to her belly at the same time. Showing amazing speed, he swept her feet out from under her, and she fell backward. He leapt onto her, but she kicked him over her head, and rolled to her knees.  


Raimi powered up hard this time, her _Ki_ showing as small blue-violet flames around her. Potah turned and watched as she readied a _Ki_ attack. Potah arrogantly stood, arms crossed and waited for her to launch it. He only realized that he had made another mistake when the crowd oooohed in amazement at the readings Raimi's _Ki_ was showing on various scouters. Raimi spread her arms, light glowing in her hands, then slammed her hands together with a dull sound like thunder rolling around the ring. With the heels of her hands touching, she called "Inazuma Shototsu!" and a huge beam of violet light leapt at Potah. The Saiyans scurried about behind him, fearing the worst from this bolt. Potah gulped and leaned forward trying to desperately block her attack, fearing the worst.  


The blast hit him on his crossed arms, and exploded, the light blocking him from view for a moment. Raimi knew he'd be alive, and mostly unhurt because she had held back on her power to prevent him from being harmed too badly. Sure enough, he was there, much weaker, and a little toasted, but OK. His arms dropped, and he looked at her a little fearfully. He knew Raimi had been toying with him, and it made him angry and scared. Raimi suddenly ran over to him and he swung at her, missing her jaw by a mile in his nervousness.  


Raimi was feeling great. She was trying to extend the fight as long as possible, but hadn't counted on how strong battle-lust would make her. She grabbed his left arm, breaking it as she tossed him across the ring with it. Potah didn't make a sound; he just cradled his arm to his belly and got to his feet. Raimi looked up to the crowd, and saw that all the women were in a small group together, warriors and civilians alike. Cali was there, along with other women from the market, and they watched her with dark solemn eyes. They were rooting for her, but quietly, with great dignity. The Queen was just as reserved, but Raimi could feel her encouragement. Raimi smiled and turned to Potah. He waited for her to make the next move, and she did just that.  


Potah braced himself as she spread her feet far apart and loosened her neck, and then flexed her arms. Loosened up, she strode forward casually. Potah was baffled, until she sprinted at him, and blurred out. He turned, sure she would be behind him, but Raimi reappeared where he had been facing, and got him in a chokehold. He flailed, with his good arm, growling like an angry beast. Raimi slowly levitated upwards, until only Potah's toes touched the ground, his weight against her arm cutting off his air. She suddenly heard the crowd; she had not even heard the roar, too focused on the fight to notice. Now she saw the women were screaming at her to end this properly. In other words, the crowd wanted her to kill him. She rested her head against his, her lips by his ear.  


"Potah, will you yield?" She purred softly. He gasped, his arm trying to reach her head somehow. Raimi unfurled her tail, and wrapped it around his broken arm, ruthlessly pulling on it. He whimpered in pain, valiantly holding in a scream. Raimi winced with him, not liking hurting him like this; but she was hoping he'd give in so she wouldn't have to kill him. To her dismay, he shook his head violently, drawing the crowd's attention. It wasn't hard for them to figure out what was going on, or what they were saying to each other.  


"Kill him! Do it!" She heard all around. She looked up at the King and her Sensei, side by side in the box. The King was smiling, not giving her any idea of what he wished her to do. Kakarrot looked pleased, not realizing the battle that raged in his Seito. She closed her eyes, feeling her Human soul battling with her Saiyan nature. She knew what she had to do, what she would be ordered to do, but didn't know if she was capable of doing it. The King finally stood, and stared at her intently.  


"Potah, will you yield to your opponent? You have been bested in the ring, and are entitled to a rematch when you recover from your injuries." He asked formally. Potah shook his head no. He tried to slam his elbow into Raimi's ribs, but she used her tail again, pulling his arm out and back, holding him nearly helpless. He choked again, and tried to kick her, then tried to use his _Ki_ to move with her when that failed. Maybe he was trying to slam her into a wall or something, but here her power was more than useful. He couldn't move her at all, and his groans told her that he realized his mistake in underestimating her. He looked at the King and spat, shaking his head again.  


Predictably, the King ignited into righteous fury. He drew his fingers across his throat in the Universal "kill" gesture. Raimi swallowed convulsively, and dug deep for the courage to do what she must. If she disobeyed she'd be killed, and Potah too. Her year here would be wasted, and she couldn't help her friends back on Chikyu-sei if she was dead. She took a deep breath, and jerked on his neck, snapping it cleanly, dropping him at her feet. She couldn't look at Potah's body, and she fought to keep from trembling. The King smiled and spread his arms.  


"My Seito wins! Take the loser away." Raimi swallowed convulsively, looking away from the corpse as two lackeys took it away. The women in the crowd rushed over the rails, and surrounded her, clasping her in a group embrace.  


"Thank you, Raimi-san! You don't know what this means to the female warriors!" Cali whispered in her ear. Raimi looked up at her, and wished she shared their pleasure at her victory.  



	23. Part XXIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXIII Raimi was still shaking while the Queens ladies dressed her in a simple but beautiful black gown. It was off the shoulder, with long sleeves and a tight bodice down to the hips, where the full-length skirt began. She had been allowed to go and rest at the Temple for a while, and she had taken advantage of this time to pack her things and gifts for her friends in a couple of capsule cases, and hid them on her person.   


She then was taken to the lab, and the Royal Crest of Vegeta-sei was tattooed on her left shoulder. She couldn't think of a way out of it. Then the Queen sent for her, and gave her this dress. Now she was dressed for her celebration, her hair freed from its braid, only the six small braids holding it out of her face. What Raimi really wanted was to leave. She was calling to Kami-sama in her mind, praying he would bring her home quickly. This celebration was not something she was looking forward to at all.  


Later, after too much of a drink that tasted like plum wine, Raimi sat staring sadly at the sunsets. She had hardly spoken to any of the people who had congratulated her. Kakarrot had frowned at her lack of pleasure in her victory, and went off to talk to Togarashi. The Queen had left a while before, and Raimi had yet to see the Brat at all.  


"Prob'ly jealous, lil' assh...hhh...hole." Raimi slurred. She was seriously drunk, easing her pain the only way she could, for now. She grimaced as she thought of what the Brat was probably plotting to do to her. He was undoubtedly pouting. She saw Nappa coming closer, and wondered if he was actually going to praise her victory. Wow, just what she wanted right now, Cabbage-Head's approval. Just then, the King and Kakarrot sat on either side of her. Raimi looked from one to the other, and frowned at them.  


"Wha's up, Senshei, My Lor'?" She said, and sighed. The King smiled delightedly; Kakarrot shook his head and sighed as well.  
"Raimi-san, we were wondering why you're not pleased with your conquest today. It's not...normal for a Saiyan to be so unhappy about killing." Kakarrot said carefully. Raimi glared at him, forgetting the King behind her.  


"Well, I'm no' yur normal Shaiyan, am I? Come on, you mus' be blind, Kakarrot..." she snapped. "I hate it here, I hate all thish love of killin'. I hate that I'm now a Shaiyan..."  


"Now? You hate that you're now a Saiyan? What were you before? A Yardratian?" The King said, his quick wits doing him well in the face of Raimi's slip-up. He had always known that she had more to tell him than she was willing to say. Raimi blinked at him, not sure what he meant, not realizing about her slip of the tongue. She was alarmed when the King took her arm and pulled her from the room, ignoring Kakarrot's bafflement at his actions. He dragged Raimi to his own chambers, and threw her onto the bed. She struggled to sit up and get off the huge four-poster, but he held her down. She sucked in a deep breath to scream, but he just covered her mouth and grabbed his scouter.  


"Send me the Green man, I need TTS quickly!" He growled. He was forced to turn his attention to Raimi, who was struggling with him. "Little Girl, stop it, I'm not going to hurt you. But I think you have information that I need, so I'm going to get it, one way or another, understand?" He hissed. Raimi stopped fighting, and stared at him, wide eyed.  


"No...you wouldn't! I don' know anythin' useful, really my King! I'm juss a lost shoul who needed training, you have ta believe me!" She gasped, trying to clear her alcohol fogged brain. A green creature of the same race as her Physician appeared next to the bed.  


"My Lord...TTS, as you asked?" It said, its voice a slick purr. It held a large hypodermic needle filled with a pink serum. Raimi screamed at the sight of it, realizing what TTS must be.  


"Don't bother, my dear, no one will help you here. This is a truth serum, and we have a full size dose ready for you, since you are so strong. You will tell me what I want to know, like it or not. The needs of the many, you know!" He nearly pulled her arm out of the socket, holding her so the creature could inject her. Raimi struggled, and did get away, but it was too late.  


"Kami! Please hurry! Oh no, no..." She moaned, feeling a numbness sweeping over her, starting with her injected arm. She wished she could pass out, but realized it wouldn't matter. He would just force her awake. She struggled to her feet, staring at the Kings expectant face, and snarled at him defiantly.  


"Fine, King Vegeta! But be warned, sometimes wanting and getting are disappointing. Your time is nearly over, this whole evil place will be gone in less than one hundred years..." she shook her head, not believing what she had said, or the Kings reaction to it. His face went white with shock, then red with fury. He stood, and backhanded her, making her spin around and fall to the floor. Raimi felt him grab her bare shoulder and haul her to her feet. The King dragged her to a chair and dropped her into it. He bent down to stare into her blurring eyes.  


"I suggest you explain that comment, Little Girl, I don't think I heard you correctly..."  


Raimi woke on the floor of the throne room, the muted colored light from the stained glass soothing to her painful eyes. She sat up slowly, and sensed the King sitting on the throne. She looked at him numbly, not angry anymore. He looked ill, wan and gray. He stared at her morosely, not moving. She stood carefully, and winced as she realized that she smelled like the tank; again.  


"You should leave, however you do that. I don't know how long I can control my temper. The only reason I don't kill you is because the Queen and the other women would revolt, and we need them. Especially now, when I have to move to prevent this genocide you have predicted." He said quietly, his voice a bass rumble in the silent room. Raimi walked closer to him, and shook her head.  


"You can't prevent it, if you try, something else will happen to destroy the Empire. It's over, can't you feel it? Saiyans have killed too many, destroyed too much, and now have been turning on each other, like animals. I remember the piles of dead Saiyans, killed not by invading armies, but by each other, for nothing." His face didn't show any emotion, she could have been talking to a statue.  


"The conditioning is too deep set now, no one can convince these people to change, tell them that they are wrong to ignore the rights of others. What do you care anyway? You don't love your people; you don't even love your son, the son of your dead mate. He needed you, and you couldn't break with tradition enough to be there for him." She saw him start to rise to her prodding, getting angry at her harsh words. He stood and raised his hand, like he was going to blast her. He probably would have too, but then Raimi felt it; the _Ki_ signature of a massively powerful being. She looked around, trying not to be obvious. She shuddered at the sensation this _Ki_ caused in her; this guy felt like he had a power level in the millions!  


"Stop, Vegeta." A soft, cold voice came from the shadows. Raimi could barely turn her head to see who it was. She knew anyway; Korudo-sama, King Cold, the hidden power behind the ruler of the known Universe. He was a tall reptilian creature, towering over the King. He was physically powerful, with a muscular build and a cruel face that made Raimi shiver. His lyre shaped horns added to his height, and made him that much more menacing. Raimi saw that even King Vegeta seemed affected by this monsters presence. Cold strode into the room slowly, and smiled at Raimi.  


"So, my Baby Boy is going to destroy the Monkeys, eh? Interesting..." Both Saiyans stared at him in shock. The King clenched his teeth as it occurred to him just who had informed Cold of what Raimi had told him; only the Green Man had been that room with them. Cold nodded, smiling. He turned to Raimi and came closer. Raimi stepped back, her dress swirling around her ankles. She cursed under her breath, realizing that both she and the King were going to die, and there was no way to stop it.  



	24. Part XXIIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXIIII Kami-sama was watching the men spar, when he felt a chill. He looked over his shoulder and saw the door to the Room Raimi occupied glowing.  
"Kurilin, Popo! Come with me! The rest of you, wait here, and only come if one of us calls you!" He turned and walked briskly into the Room, Kurilin and Mr. Popo behind him.  


Raimi swallowed her fear and walked over to the King, standing before him, and turned to face Cold. Their anger at each other was lost in the realization of the threat they faced together. Raimi was now one of the Royal Guard, and she would fulfill these duties as she had been trained to do, no matter what her feelings were.  


"Korudo-sama, if you wish to kill the King, you must go through me. I may not seem like much of a challenge, but the smallest packages often hold the largest surprises. But you know that, don't you?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Cold raised one "eyebrow", and shrugged. The Saiyan King looked at her in amazement, and then shook his head. He'd never figure her out...  


"What do you want, Korudo-sama?" He asked. The silence was crushing. Finally, Cold strode over to them, and walked up the dais, looking down them. He made no move to attack either of them; he seemed to be thinking. Raimi moved to stay between them, even as she felt The King try to stop her. They waited for Cold to speak.  


"I want your people to work for Frieza; exclusively." He finally said. Raimi knew what he meant. Saiyans were mercenaries, working for the highest bidder. They cleared planets for the Cold Family, fought wars for who ever could afford them, assassinated for the highest fees. Ten Saiyans could destroy the entire population of almost any planet in three days, and the Elite could do the same with only three men in two.  


Cold wanted to put the Saiyans at Frieza's beck and call, at whatever fee he felt adequate. They wouldn't be able to refuse a commission, or fail to deliver on time. They would become servants to the Cold Family, something most of them couldn't bear.  


"I want you to keep the peace. Wouldn't you like to be more than just mercenaries, you and your kind?" Cold leaned down into the Kings face, moving Raimi out of the way with exaggerated care, his cold amber eyes piercing Vegeta's black one's. The Saiyan didn't look away, but his jaw tightened, as if to keep from saying something stupid.  


"We don't much like the...interference of others. My Lord. We love our independence." He hedged instead.  


"Ooohh, but I will be sure to make it profitable for you and your people. Very, very profitable, Vegeta. Come now, be reasonable." Cold said persuasively. Vegeta's eyes narrowed. He didn't have any choice, not really. He reluctantly held out his hand to the giant looming over him.  


Raimi wanted to stop him, to prevent this; but she could only watch as the King of all Saiyans sold his people into slavery with a handshake. She shook with anger, but said nothing. The Kings stared at each other, and Raimi could tell that while death was held off for now, King Vegeta didn't have long to live. She turned away, and bit her tongue, feeling more depressed than she'd ever been.  


Home; she wanted to go home.  


"Little Girl, you may leave. Good luck, wherever you're going." Vegeta said, his eyes dull, lifeless. He was trapped, and knew there was no way to avoid the future Raimi had predicted. After all, all the Saiyans on the planet together were nothing to Cold's power. Raimi bowed to him, then turned and pulling her skirt aside as if avoiding filth in the street, walked by Cold, refusing to look at him. He chuckled, amused by her defiance.  


"I didn't give you permission to leave," he said to her. Raimi didn't hesitate, she ignored him and kept walking, finally feeling the sensation she had been hoping for; her body was calling her home. She disappeared before she reached the door of the Throne Room.  


"Wait, she's coming!" Kami gasped. He had been reaching out for Raimi, and was fearful for her as he realized the danger she was in. Now she had seemed to escape, and he was able to grasp her essence at last. Mr. Popo stood by his master, ready to lend what help he could.  


Kurilin stared as Raimi began to look solid again, her hair growing even longer at accelerated rate. Her armor seemed to melt off her, leaving a long black dress in its place. Suddenly her back arched as she gasped, taking her first real breath in five weeks of Chikyu-sei's time. She screamed, and sat up quickly, covering her face with her hands as she began to cry. Kurilin forgot the danger of the sigil, and ran over to her. Raimi grasped his arms as he held her, asking her what was wrong.  


"It's all my fault...I'm the reason...it was me..." was all Raimi said, before she bit her lips to hold in her sobs. Kami nodded to Mr. Popo, who went outside and asked Yamcha to help move her to her room. She could barely stand, but if it was because of her inactivity, or her breakdown, Kurilin wasn't sure. He and Yamcha looked at each other, wondering if what ever had done this to her was something she would recover from, and be able to help them.  


It was hours later. Raimi was finally asleep; Mr. Popo had used all his sleeping herbs to knock her out. She lay on her back, breathing quick shallow breaths, looking very pale. She refused to be alone, trying to stand and follow the men as they left. Yamcha had stayed, watching over her sadly. They had seen her last five weeks ago, but she hadn't seen them in a little more than a year, Kami had told them. She was alright, physically, but...  


Yamcha looked at her, wondering what had happened. Kami had said she was fine until the last few hours. He wouldn't say what had happened. "She will tell us if she wants to, it's her story."  


Yamcha didn't buy it. Whatever had happened to her, the Saiyans were the cause of her problem, and they needed to know what was happening. These monsters were on their way to Earth right now, and he felt that gave him and the others the right to know what they were dealing with. Only Raimi really knew, and she was going to have to tell them.  


Just then, Raimi mumbled and turned onto her side. Her hair fell over her face, and she twitched, as if it bothered her, but she couldn't waken enough to move it. Yamcha gently moved it aside, and touched her cheek. She sighed, and he smiled. She was trying to be so strong for them, to be a warrior, and he was sure that after a year on the Saiyans home world, she could fight; but she was still very young, and new to this. Kami-sama had been letting little things "Slip" about her as he learned them; one of these things was her age of sixteen, now seventeen. All of them had been shocked, and even more worried about her. Now he felt bad that she had gone at all. She was so...small and looked so fragile right now, drugged into a stupor and yet still so sad.  


He had also forgotten how pretty she was, with those cheekbones and all that red hair; then he felt guilty about Bulma. He really did love Bulma, but she was too possessive, to demanding and far too bossy. He felt like a slave sometimes, having to be where she could find him, and not being able to even look at other girls, as if any of them were as beautiful as she! He had been unable to look at or even think about girls for so long because of his abnormal shyness towards women, and he had lots of time to make up for. He had no ideas at first of how to get along with women, not even Bulma herself, who he felt such a bond with. Besides she looked all the time! Bulma had even had a crush on GOKU, for heavens sake!  


So they started this awful cycle of breaking up, and getting back together, over and over, each time more painful than the last. She would see him talking to some female, and fly off the handle. He would get defensive. They'd fight, and fight, and she'd storm out, and he'd feel awful about hurting her. She never thought it bad if SHE looked at guys, though, to be honest, she didn't do it that much. She had been unfair more than once though.  


Like the time he had been talking to a meter-maid, flirting to not get a ticket on Dr. Briefs car (since he had "borrowed" it and didn't want to pay for the ticket). Bulma caught the tail end of that, and they'd fought for days; she refused to believe his story of what she had seen. He didn't understand it. She seemed to feel so...betrayed, if he spoke to another woman. How could someone so beautiful be so jealous?  


Just then, despite all the herbs and other things Mr. Popo had poured down her throat, Raimi started to wake up. She moaned and then jumped, her eyes wild as she looked around for something.  


"Hey, Raimi it's OK, you're home now..." Yamcha said, pushing on her shoulders as she tried to get up. She grabbed his arms in a painfully powerful grip, and stared at him for a moment, then sort of deflated.  


"Oh, Yamcha! It's true then, I'm here? Has anything changed? Are they still coming?" She said quickly. He looked at her, puzzled by the question. She looked guilty for some reason.  


"I think so. Why wouldn't they be?" He asked carefully. She took a deep breath, and shook her head. Yamcha winced at the pain of her grip, and Raimi let go with a sheepish smile.  


"Sorry about that. I need to speak to Kami-sama, please go for him..."  
"No need. Raimi, what is wrong? Can you tell us?" Kami said as he came in the door. Yamcha stood to leave, but Raimi held him there. He sat again, and she smiled gratefully.  
"First, has ANYTHING changed here, Kami?" He shook his head, and she sighed, "I guess that's good. I was worried about that..."  


"The Paradox of the Room does that to you. But, the magic's and science that were combined to create that space and its properties are not just powerful, but well thought out. If you were going to do something to change the future, you would find yourself unable to do so. It might be subtle, or it might be something as drastic as pulling you back here, but something will stop you from harming the time continuum, or at least that's what I understand. Also, you cannot be killed; you are protected as well, in the same way. So, while I know you had a difficult time there, I knew you were also as safe as you could be." He said. Raimi quietly absorbed this, and sighed, frustrated by her thoughts.  


"But, I wasn't part of the story originally. So how could I be responsible for..."  
"Who says you are? Even if you are the cause of that genocide now, you were just another means to an end. What you told the King is true. That time is, was, over. I'm sorry for your guilt, but it is self-imposed. The people of the Universe would probably thank you if they knew." Kami said bluntly. Raimi shook her head and smiled.  


"You're right. I can't worry about it anymore. I'm sorry to be so much trouble, Ok?" She turned to Yamcha. "I'm starving, wanna have lunch?" Yamcha laughed at this. She was so much like Goku in some ways. Did all Saiyans have bottomless stomachs?  


"Yes, Mr. Popo has made lots of food for your arrival, Raimi, I'm sure Yamcha can take some without you missing it!" Kami said, relieved at her easy acceptance of the facts. Still, he wondered how many sleepless nights Raimi would have over this puzzle, and if it would affect her ability to fight when the invading Saiyans arrived...  



	25. XXV

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXI After the promised meal, Raimi sat in the sun, taking deep breaths of air, as tears of relief and joy trickled down her cheeks. Yamcha was uncomfortable at the sight of her tears, but she took his hand in hers, and smiled.  


"Please try to understand, Yamcha. You've been there, seen the orange sky. I missed the blue sky, and the fresh air. I wanted to come home for so long, it's like a dream now that I'm here." She said. He nodded; he did know what she meant, he hated the oppressive atmosphere there. He and all the others had been back quite a few times while Raimi was gone, and they all agreed that the place was like a nightmare. He could hardly imagine staying there for a whole year.  


"Did you have any fun there? I mean, weren't there any nice people? Did you like your Sensei?" Yamcha asked, and winced as her realized too late that Raimi probably didn't want to talk about it. However, Raimi chuckled and squeezed his hand again.  


"Yes, I did enjoy some of it. The commoners were nice, I guess. And I loved my Sensei, he was amazing. You and Kurilin would have liked him too. It was the King and the Prince who were the most trouble..." She said, and Yamcha felt her fingers tremble as she mentioned them. He moved closer, and put his arm around her shoulders. Raimi stiffened, then forced herself to relax. She wasn't used to anyone touching her in a kind way. She leaned her head on Yamcha's shoulder, and sighed.  


"This is so different for me now. They are so cold and distant. I never saw a loving touch shared, or heard kind words among the warriors. They were killing machines." She told him quietly. Yamcha felt sorry for her, she must have been frightened in this hostile environment. He wondered about the King and Prince she had mentioned. He debated about asking her about them.  


"Raimi, why are you so upset, so wrecked? What did you talk to Kami about?" He asked; that conversation had baffled him.  


"Why am I so wrecked? I found out why the Saiyans were destroyed. The two coming here are the last of their kind. Only they, Goku and I remain...Thousands, maybe millions of Saiyans, all killed at once. And I'm the one who caused it." Her voice was flat, and she looked away as she spoke. Yamcha shook his head, wanting to reassure her.  


"You must be wrong. Kurilin said it was a comet, he told us what that Radish guy said. You caused a comet to kill all the Saiyans?" Yamcha said softly. Raimi laughed bitterly.  


"Raditz didn't know the truth. I DO. But, it's not something I can change anymore. Kami-sama is right, anyway. It really is no great loss, I guess. They were so, so perverted. I don't mean etchi, I mean just evil. Oh, I have to stop this! Tell me about yourself, something I wouldn't know?" She asked. Yamcha laughed, and told her his life story, about his early training, and his fear of women that had driven him into the desert.  


"I mean, if Pu'ar became a woman, I'd freeze! She is my best friend, and I freaked out anyway! I was hopeless. Then, I met Bulma, and she cured me." His voice got soft as he said her name. Raimi smiled at this.  


"So why do you two break-up all the time? I mean, I know you always go looking at other girls, and spend what little money you get on the wrong things. Don't get huffy, Yamcha, you know it's true! Why don't you settle down, and be faithful to Bulma?" Raimi questioned. Yamcha surprised her by taking his time to answer.  


"I feel like I owe myself some time to find out about girls. I hardly know how to flirt, you know."  


"You flirt with me just fine." Raimi purred, and laughed when he jerked, stiffening next to her. She could see the glow from his blush even as she looked away from him. Raimi looked up at him with a mischievous expression, and Yamcha smiled in response. They admitted silently the attraction they felt to each other. She relaxed against his shoulder, leaning her head against his. They sat quietly like that as they watched the sunset.  


It was decided to let Raimi recover for a week or so, so Kami-sama took her to Capsule Corp. where she could be away from the ongoing training. Bulma was delighted at this visit. She was only stopping by to get some clothes, since she was staying at the Kame house until the battle was over.  


"We found all the Dragonballs already! Master Roshi had to help me, since that Hentai Oolong was scared to go! I made him help of course, and Pu'ar was with us too. But it went rather smoothly, for a Dragonball hunt." Bulma told her as she dug through her closet for what she wanted. Raimi laughed as Bulma explained how Roshi had had to fight off a gang of Amazons who had the seven star ball. He had tried to surrender and trade his body for the ball, but the women had just gaped at him in disbelief, and then attacked. His enjoyment in that fight was obvious to Oolong and Bulma, as he "accidentally" kept touching them in etchi ways. After Bulma got the ball from its hiding place, they beat a retreat, with the Amazons screaming in horror at Roshi's etchi behavior. By the time Bulma was done, they both were on the floor, sides aching as they laughed.  


"He's soooo pleased with himself, but he still wishes they had just traded! After all, they don't know what they are missing!" Bulma gasped. Raimi shook her head. She couldn't speak, the image of Roshi molesting those women while pretending to fight was easy to see in her mind. Of course Roshi wouldn't really hurt them, but still...  


"Hey, wanna go shopping? That hair needs a trim, and I'm sure you're hungry." Bulma offered. Raimi nodded and they set out.  


Raimi was dizzy at the pace Bulma kept while shopping. They looked at clothes for Raimi mostly, though of course, Bulma saw many things she wanted too. Then they went to Bulma's favorite day spa, where Raimi was subjected to many treatments for her battle-toughened skin, wild hair, and sadly neglected nails. Bulma sat through all of them with her, clucking and tsking over Raimi's deplorable state.  


But now, after a trim to her hair, and the other conditioning for her skin and nails, Raimi looked ready for a date, not a battle. They had lunch at a Japanese restaurant, which made sense since Capsule Corp was in Japan, or Chikyu-sei's equivalent. Raimi was able to find out that Goku's family lived in the equivalent of China (A short drive across the peninsula), and Roshi's island was off the coast of this China. She was caught up on the happenings here while she was gone, which wasn't much. She had only been gone six weeks, though Bulma admitted that Raimi's hair had a year's growth added to it.  


"Hey, Roshi! Look who's come to visit!" Bulma yelled as they staggered in the door, burdened down with stuff in bags. Unfortunately, not everyone offered to capsulize one's purchases, and they had made lots of purchases. Oolong and Pu'ar came into the room as Raimi and Bulma collapsed on the couch.  


"Hey, it's Raimi!" Pu'ar said, and latched onto her. Raimi laughed and cuddled her tiny body to her.  


"Yamcha says hello, Pu'ar. Hello Oolong, get out of that bag." Oolong had found the bag that had Raimi's new lingerie in it, and was sniffing it. He jumped back and grinned innocently. Bulma glared at him, warning him to not try it with her stuff. Roshi wandered in and greeted them.  


"Hello Roshi. I hear you been enjoying the Dragonball hunt." Raimi drawled slowly. He blushed and chuckled. Bulma asked about her training, and she laughed.  


"You guys have no idea of what I went through. It's been hard. Kami sent me someplace where time was sped up for me, so I've had fourteen months training, not four." Bulma turned to her, amazed.  


"Really? So you can fight now? You should fight with Roshi, and see how good you are, Goku says...said how Roshi was better at fighting than he was." She said mischievously. Roshi humphed and tried to disappear. He could feel how strong Raimi was now, and wanted no part of it. Raimi turned to look at him.  


"I don't know, he must be tired after defending himself from those rapacious women..." She purred, watching Roshi and Oolongs faces glow bright red. She and Bulma laughed again, and Pu'ar covered her eyes.  



	26. XXVI

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXVI Later, after a light snack for Raimi (four plates of chow mien, a large bowl of fried rice, and six fortune cookies, washed down with three mugs of Master Roshi's blue beer, a pittance) Bulma and she had changed into their new bikinis and were lying on the beach. Oolong was in the kitchen, where Pu'ar was tending his matching black eyes, and Roshi was drooling from behind the palm tree. Bulma giggled.  
"I can't believe you did that to Oolong!"  


"He has to learn one day, I mean it's been how long now? Ten years? And he is still soooo etchi. Still, I didn't mean to hurt him THAT bad. Well, he'll be OK..." Raimi chuckled. She couldn't really blame him, their bikinis were the smallest they could find, and barely seemed adequate for a six-year-old, much less two curvy grown women. Bulma chuckled, still relishing the sight of Oolongs punishment for touching her; he hadn't dared to touch Raimi, but that hadn't saved him from Raimi's wrath!  


"Raimi, is Yamcha doing well?" Pu'ar said. Raimi filled them in as best she could about how the guys were doing. She knew barely any more than they did. Then she remembered her presents for them. She went inside, and came out with a capsule in hand.  


"Oh, what, how did you know you could bring things back from there?" Bulma asked. Raimi had given her the short explanation of her training and where it had taken place during lunch. Raimi now told her about the medallion she had found on her first excursion.  


"It came back with me, and I realized that I could bring other things too. I felt I owed everyone something, and also that Vegeta-sei owed US. So..." She pressed the button to open the capsule, and waited as the storing gas cleared. The case was as large as a suitcase, and she opened it so the others couldn't see into it. She pulled out a long bottle shaped like a dragon and handed it to Pu'ar. The cat squealed as she took it from her, looking at its lovely dark green color.  


"Your talent isn't singular to this planet. Others can do the same on other planets. This is a potion that causes you to be able to hold a transformation for up to an hour, instead of five minutes. You need a five minute recharge, but I though you might like it, and be able use it one day!" Raimi explained. Pu'ar burst into tears, and hugged Raimi gratefully. Bulma was surprised to hear of such a solution. She'd take some to her dad for reproduction; it could be useful, and profitable too. Raimi had reached into the case again.  


"Here, Roshi, this is an ancient text on Martial Arts; it's written in Galactic Standard, but I can translate it for you soon enough." The book was very thick, bound in leather, and looked very old. Roshi took it, and thumbed through it, instantly impressed by the illustrations, many of which showed movements and poses he knew. He thanked her sincerely, and went into the house where he could still peek out at them to look through it. Oolong came up; hands out like a blind man's as he tried to not bump into them.  


"Uh, did you get me something?" He asked sheepishly. Raimi patted his chubby shoulder.  


"Of course I did, Oolong. You won't be able to see it for awhile, but here," She said sweetly, and gave him a box similar to Yamcha's holo of Bulma. "It plays a little movie of a, well, you'll see." She laughed; sure he'd know it backwards and forwards soon. He'd probably have to fight off Master Roshi for it!  


"What did you get me?" Bulma asked, excited. Raimi had gotten them all things that were appropriate to their personalities. What had Raimi gotten for her?  


"Bulma, this is something you won't need for a little while, but still... I got it from the Queen of Vegeta-sei. It's the wedding dress of the Queen that came before her. They were friends...she wanted me to have it, but I'm so small. It should fit you. You will get married one day, you know!" She handed her friend the box containing the dress. Bulma stared at Raimi instead and began to cry. Raimi was baffled for a moment, then realized what was wrong. Bulma had lost hope about ever getting married. Raimi had just told her she would and she was so relieved about it that she was crying for happiness. Raimi held her friend and chuckled.  


"Come now Bulma, it's Ok! I swear it's true, and you'll be happy, I promise." She said softly, glad she could give her this small spot of peace in what was soon to be a nightmare of pain and death. Of everyone who had a loved one going to the field where the battle would take place, Bulma was destined to suffer most. Raimi couldn't prevent it, and might even end up a casualty herself. Like her friends and Bulma herself, she would do what she must. It was all they could do.  


By the time Raimi went back to the Lookout, she and Bulma were fast friends. Pu'ar and Roshi were close to her as well, though as a woman, she couldn't get that close to Oolong; his hentai mind made it impossible. Still, she felt good about life again, and she was ready to train as well. Yamcha greeted her first, blushing as he thanked her for the Holo-box of the dancing girl. She laughed and followed him to the rest of the gang.  


"Are you feeling better, Raimi?" Kami-sama asked smoothly. Raimi knew that tone. That was the tone Kakarrot used before giving her a particularly nasty task to perform. She stood straighter and nodded.  


"Yes, Kami-sama, I'm feeling much better. What can I do for you?" He dipped his head, understanding that she knew what his tone meant.  


"Yamcha and the others want to know what they are going to face. They want you to tell them what you can about Saiyans, and the two coming in particular." He said, his voice commanding. Raimi stared up at him, her eyes hard. She understood the order, but didn't like doing it. She wasn't sure how much was safe to tell. She turned away, and walked to the edge of the platform, looking down at Chikyu below. The men watched her, curious about what she'd say.  


"Saiyans are the biggest joke the Universal Gods ever played." Raimi said softly. They looked at each other in wonder. What was she talking about? She looked up at the first stars, barely visible in the twilight.  


"Saiyans are the most perfect expression of destruction ever created. We are born stronger than almost every race, and there is no limit to our power, which you will see in the years to come. Goku will...well never mind, you'll see that for yourselves.  


"We heal faster than humans; we age far slower than other races, and thus have the potential to live longer as well. We are born with not only the ability to fight, but also a battle lust that cannot be denied easily. Even Goku has felt this, and only the strong human conditioning he received from Son Gohan has helped him fight it off. Do you think that Piccolo would still be alive if Goku could have killed him? Don't bet on it." She said, her voice getting colder as she remembered her own battle fury, and the sensation of Potah's neck snapping in her hands.  


"But the worst thing, the thing to always remember is that Saiyans have no moral fiber. Never turn your back to a Saiyan. To do so is to be killed. They are taught that life means nothing. Not even their own lives mean anything. They live to fight, and will gladly die if doing so means they destroy their opponents; Kamikaze was a common way for weaker Saiyans to die." The men stared at the back of her head in horror. She was describing monsters, not men; they could hardly believe what she said could be true. Raimi turned around and looked at them evenly.  


"We will face two of the most powerful Saiyans ever born; Nappa, Saiyan Elite, and Captain of the whole Saiyan Army. And then there's Vegeta..." She turned away again, and refused to say any more, no matter what they asked of her. She felt she had said too much already.  


During the training that followed, Raimi found herself drawn to Yamcha more and more. He was so nice, and so good-looking. She had felt bad about flirting with him at first, but then remembered two things: one, he and Bulma were broken up, by Bulma's own admission, and two, She knew that Bulma and Yamcha weren't going to get married after all, despite all the years they had been together. She relaxed, and let herself enjoy his obvious appreciation of her own good looks. By the time the arrival of the Saiyans was imminent, they were fast friends, and both wanted more. By unspoken agreement, they held off for now. Yamcha wasn't sure that his feelings for Bulma were truly gone or just buried, and Raimi knew that he was destined to be gone for a while after the battle, so it was just as well.  


One day, Kami-sama gathered them together, and looked at them critically. Raimi had been back for almost six months, and they all had shown remarkable improvement. Now the old god nodded, pleased with his students. They had all spent time training in the Room of Space and Time, except for Raimi who refused to return to Vegeta-sei, under any conditions. They were all much stronger, faster, and better fighters.  


"There is nothing more Mr. Popo or I can teach you. You are free to leave, and prepare for the fight to come as you wish. I'm very proud of all of you." Kami said. They basked in his praise and looked at each other, pleased with themselves. Raimi's little talk about Saiyans had motivated them to work very hard, and she had worked along side them. Her dedication to defending Chikyu was inspiring.  


"Hey, can I take this weighted shirt off now?" Yajirobei asked, already pulling it over his head. Kami assured him he could do as he pleased as the others decided that they would keep training, alone and in their own disciplines. They still had some time for improvement, and knew they needed all the help they could get. Later, after the men were gone, Raimi waited for Kami to seek her out. He came up to her and they stood, watching the planet below.  


"I've been the Kami for a long time, but I've never felt so helpless to help my planet before. Will they win?" He asked. Raimi shook her head, and took his arm in hers. "No, they won't Kami-san. Gohan will." Kami turned to her abruptly.  


"GOHAN? Goku's son? He will beat them off?" His eyes were wide with shock. "Then what will happen to the others?" Raimi looked down and didn't answer. He lifted her chin and bent over her, reminding her of the long dead King Vegeta.  
"What will happen to the others?"  


"They will be granted the right to train under Kaio-sama." She whispered. He knew what she meant, and felt cold at the realization.  
"And Goku?"  


"Goku will survive, barely. As for myself, who knows?" She said softly. Her fear that she wasn't going to survive shadowed her eyes. Kami sighed.  


"I know. King Enma knows too. You made an oath to protect Gohan, didn't you?" She nodded. "I know Piccolo will die, so that leaves only you to care for him. You are protected by your oath. Still, I wish you luck, Raimi-san. You should go now, and ready your mind for this fight. Things may not go as you think they will." Raimi frowned at this. Was that a warning? She bowed, and then hugged the old god, and was pleased when he returned the embrace. She turned and jumped off the tower, flying to the west, to Kame-sen'nin's house.  


She spent five days there, relaxing with Kurilin, Roshi, and Bulma. They didn't talk about the coming battle, but lay in the sun, and ate tons of food, watching the sunsets, and telling stories about all their adventures when they were young. Sometimes she and Kurilin sparred with each other or Roshi. Finally, Raimi decided to leave, guilt about what she knew making it hard for her to meet Bulma's eyes. She told them she was going to stay by Piccolo, and warned Kurilin that the Saiyans would go there as well, so be ready. He shook her hand, and watched as she flew away.  


"I hope everyone will be OK, Kurilin. I really do..." Bulma said.  
"Me too, Bulma, me too." His voice implied that he didn't think they would be; Bulma shivered and prayed for the peace she knew they wouldn't find.  



	27. XXVII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXII Kakarrot waited with her, sizing up the crowd there to see the Duel. It was as large as he had expected; after all this was a fight between the first lieutenant of the first division, and the Kings own Seito, his sponsored pupil. The fact that the Seito in question was a woman only added to the excitement and curiosity of the Saiyans gathered out there. He turned to her, and smiled as he saw that Raimi was sitting quietly, eyes closed as she tried to ignore the crowd. He tapped her shoulder, and told her that it was time to go out to the ring.  


Once she was out there, she stood defiantly, arms crossed, eyes focused on the Royal Box, staring at the King and Queen. Both watched her in return, and she felt them brush her mind with the limited telepathy that Saiyans could use with each other. She was surprised and flattered at both their unshakable faith in her. She hoped she could live up to it.  


Her opponent strode into the ring, smiling confidently. He still wore that silly half cape, and was still looking cocky. She didn't smile, or allow herself to show any emotion, not yet. She did start to loosen up, stretching her arms and legs, even flexing her tail, just in case. He laughed at her, but she knew he was nervous, she could smell it on him, like an animal might. Well they were probably even then, since she was nervous as well. She noted that he wore only trunks under his armor with the full girds, and heavy boots, with weighted wrist braces. She frowned as she realized that the weighted braces would make his blows heavier too. Well, she felt it beneath her to dress as he was, she wanted to look graceful as well as protected.  


The King stood, and the crowd fell silent. He looked at Raimi, and then bent his fierce gaze upon the hapless Potah.  


"You are here to test your combat skills. You are not to break the rules of combat, namely; no eye gouging, no hits below the belt, no tail grabbing. This fight is not to the death unless both of you agree to make it so, either now or later in the fight. Now, prepare yourselves..." He lifted his arm, and both combatants dropped into their ready stances.  


Raimi eyed Potah evenly; looking for any flaws in his posture, and tells in his gaze, as Kakarrot had instructed her. The King dropped his arm, and Potah leapt at her, not waiting for her to move first. She waited until he was in her face, then moved aside, punching at the side of his head. He ducked and punched her in the belly. Raimi winced, but he wasn't going all out yet, so it didn't hurt too badly. She countered by grabbing the back of his neck and slamming Potah's face into her raised knee. He growled as he spit out a mouthful of blood. She smiled slightly and jumped back. They faced each other again, and circled warily.   


Potah was surprised by her show of force so soon. He liked to toy with his opponents, especially since he had gained so much power in the last year. He liked to throw his weight around, and loved to bully anyone he could. He remembered Raimi from her first day on Vegeta-sei, and had been eager to show her who was the boss. Now he found that she was the King's pet, and that she was stronger than he had thought. He could have sworn that her hair was a different color too, but that was hardly important now.  


Raimi was looking for weaknesses in his style, and finding a few. She had no idea if she could exploit them yet, but it was better than nothing. He wasn't really all that great, but he did have years of experience on her. This meant a lot more than all her strength, and she was expected to show her fighting skills, not just blow him away.   


He launched another attack just then, and they traded blows at hyper speed, making the lower class warriors wide-eyed with amazement. Potah kept aiming for her face, and she blocked these blows, but hardly bothered with the blows that landed on her body. Queen Vejita's armor protected her very well; she didn't really even feel the hits he did make. She leapt back and charged up a _Ki_ ball and sent it at him, but he deflected it, only to realize that she had disappeared. He looked around; she appeared behind him and kicked his head. His jaws snapped shut as he stumbled forward. Raimi followed and sent a roundhouse kick at his rear.  


Potah recovered faster than she expected, and grabbed her leg, pulling her off balance. Raimi planted her other foot in the soft floor, and using her momentum, swung him around her with her captured leg. He was startled by this unexpected move, and she was able to punch him square in the nose. He released her leg to grab his nose. Raimi stepped back, resettling herself to wait for his next move. Kakarrot nodded his approval from the Royal box, and she noticed that Nappa and the Brat had also joined the King and Queen. She moved her eyes back to the now furious Potah, and saw that he was going to be reckless because of his anger.  


"Relax, Potah. You're useless if you get angry..." Raimi reminded him. He just got angrier, and came after her again. Raimi stopped hedging, and actively tried to get through his guard. She kicked at Potah's side, and he jumped back, and then closed in again. He swung at her jaw, and she blocked it, while blocking the blow to her belly at the same time. Showing amazing speed, he swept her feet out from under her, and she fell backward. He leapt onto her, but she kicked him over her head, and rolled to her knees.  


Raimi powered up hard this time, her _Ki_ showing as small blue-violet flames around her. Potah turned and watched as she readied a _Ki_ attack. Potah arrogantly stood, arms crossed and waited for her to launch it. He only realized that he had made another mistake when the crowd oooohed in amazement at the readings Raimi's _Ki_ was showing on various scouters. Raimi spread her arms, light glowing in her hands, then slammed her hands together with a dull sound like thunder rolling around the ring. With the heels of her hands touching, she called "Inazuma Shototsu!" and a huge beam of violet light leapt at Potah. The Saiyans scurried about behind him, fearing the worst from this bolt. Potah gulped and leaned forward trying to desperately block her attack, fearing the worst.  


The blast hit him on his crossed arms, and exploded, the light blocking him from view for a moment. Raimi knew he'd be alive, and mostly unhurt because she had held back on her power to prevent him from being harmed too badly. Sure enough, he was there, much weaker, and a little toasted, but OK. His arms dropped, and he looked at her a little fearfully. He knew Raimi had been toying with him, and it made him angry and scared. Raimi suddenly ran over to him and he swung at her, missing her jaw by a mile in his nervousness.  


Raimi was feeling great. She was trying to extend the fight as long as possible, but hadn't counted on how strong battle-lust would make her. She grabbed his left arm, breaking it as she tossed him across the ring with it. Potah didn't make a sound; he just cradled his arm to his belly and got to his feet. Raimi looked up to the crowd, and saw that all the women were in a small group together, warriors and civilians alike. Cali was there, along with other women from the market, and they watched her with dark solemn eyes. They were rooting for her, but quietly, with great dignity. The Queen was just as reserved, but Raimi could feel her encouragement. Raimi smiled and turned to Potah. He waited for her to make the next move, and she did just that.  


Potah braced himself as she spread her feet far apart and loosened her neck, and then flexed her arms. Loosened up, she strode forward casually. Potah was baffled, until she sprinted at him, and blurred out. He turned, sure she would be behind him, but Raimi reappeared where he had been facing, and got him in a chokehold. He flailed, with his good arm, growling like an angry beast. Raimi slowly levitated upwards, until only Potah's toes touched the ground, his weight against her arm cutting off his air. She suddenly heard the crowd; she had not even heard the roar, too focused on the fight to notice. Now she saw the women were screaming at her to end this properly. In other words, the crowd wanted her to kill him. She rested her head against his, her lips by his ear.  


"Potah, will you yield?" She purred softly. He gasped, his arm trying to reach her head somehow. Raimi unfurled her tail, and wrapped it around his broken arm, ruthlessly pulling on it. He whimpered in pain, valiantly holding in a scream. Raimi winced with him, not liking hurting him like this; but she was hoping he'd give in so she wouldn't have to kill him. To her dismay, he shook his head violently, drawing the crowd's attention. It wasn't hard for them to figure out what was going on, or what they were saying to each other.  


"Kill him! Do it!" She heard all around. She looked up at the King and her Sensei, side by side in the box. The King was smiling, not giving her any idea of what he wished her to do. Kakarrot looked pleased, not realizing the battle that raged in his Seito. She closed her eyes, feeling her Human soul battling with her Saiyan nature. She knew what she had to do, what she would be ordered to do, but didn't know if she was capable of doing it. The King finally stood, and stared at her intently.  


"Potah, will you yield to your opponent? You have been bested in the ring, and are entitled to a rematch when you recover from your injuries." He asked formally. Potah shook his head no. He tried to slam his elbow into Raimi's ribs, but she used her tail again, pulling his arm out and back, holding him nearly helpless. He choked again, and tried to kick her, then tried to use his _Ki_ to move with her when that failed. Maybe he was trying to slam her into a wall or something, but here her power was more than useful. He couldn't move her at all, and his groans told her that he realized his mistake in underestimating her. He looked at the King and spat, shaking his head again.  


Predictably, the King ignited into righteous fury. He drew his fingers across his throat in the Universal "kill" gesture. Raimi swallowed convulsively, and dug deep for the courage to do what she must. If she disobeyed she'd be killed, and Potah too. Her year here would be wasted, and she couldn't help her friends back on Chikyu-sei if she was dead. She took a deep breath, and jerked on his neck, snapping it cleanly, dropping him at her feet. She couldn't look at Potah's body, and she fought to keep from trembling. The King smiled and spread his arms.  


"My Seito wins! Take the loser away." Raimi swallowed convulsively, looking away from the corpse as two lackeys took it away. The women in the crowd rushed over the rails, and surrounded her, clasping her in a group embrace.  


"Thank you, Raimi-san! You don't know what this means to the female warriors!" Cali whispered in her ear. Raimi looked up at her, and wished she shared their pleasure at her victory.  



	28. XXVIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXVIII At 6:00 a.m., Raimi opened her eyes. She stood, and stretched her arms, taking several deep breaths. She heard Piccolo grunt behind her, and turned to look at the angry alien. Boy, she had forgotten how tall he was!  
"You're up late." He said. Raimi shrugged.  


"So? I know the exact moment they will set down, so why not indulge myself on what may be my last day alive?" He snorted in disgust, and Raimi frowned at him.  


"I know you're young yet, but you should have better manners by now, Ma Junior. Maybe today, you'll grow up some." She turned her back and went in search of a stream to wash up in. She wished she could see his face, but knew when to walk away. The Brat had taught her that lesson painfully.  


At 11:35, she re-appeared. Piccolo and Gohan looked up from sparring, curious about her serious face.  
"Okay, this is it. The time is almost upon us. Let's see, they came from the East, didn't they?" She looked around, and saw Piccolo and Gohan watching her.  
"So, where are they?" Piccolo asked. She pointed east, exasperated at having to repeat herself.  


"They are over there, and approaching fast. You'll feel them, I guarantee it." She began to stretch and loosen up. Sure enough, at 11:43, they all felt a wave of power, so intense that it made them slightly ill for a moment. It came from the East, just as she had said. Raimi's scouter beeped and began to display numbers, pointing towards the two Saiyans halfway across the world. She turned her head so the others couldn't see her face when the analysis was complete.  


It was worse than she had remembered. The display showed a 5,000 and a 15,000. That was bad. No one on Earth even had a 5,000 rating, except maybe her. She wasn't too sure how high her own level was…  


"Well, there they are… Oh no, I almost forgot about that! Brace yourselves!" She warned, just as a horrible sensation washed over them, followed by a shock wave from a huge explosion.  


"What the Hell did they do?" Piccolo gasped, staring to the East as a massive cloud rose in the far distance. Gohan shivered between them. He was more sensitive, and felt the tremendous loss of life behind that blast. Raimi rested her hand on his shoulder gently.  


"That was Nappa's version of hello. If I had known which city they were to land in, I would have warned them. But, I'm not omniscient. Just well informed on some small details." She said sadly. Piccolo looked at her, more confused by her every minute. The scouter beeped a quiet alarm.  


"The Saiyans, they're headed this way!" Piccolo growled. He pulled off his weighted armor and turban, then changed into shoes that were not weighted as well. Raimi looked at him and smiled; reminded of the day Raditz came.  


"Just tell me this, will we stop them?" Piccolo asked evenly. Raimi looked into his eyes for a moment, then nodded. He felt a chill looking at her. Something in her eyes confirmed for him the feeling he had had all this year that he wouldn't see another day in this world for a long time after this fight.  


Raimi's scouter beeped again, this time registering four new powers converging on them. Piccolo and Gohan picked them up as well, and readied themselves, worried.  


"But I thought there were only two Saiyans…" Piccolo looked at Raimi accusingly. She didn't reply. They relaxed when they saw Kurilin drop down next to them. Raimi nodded to him and looked east again as Kurilin and Gohan reacquainted themselves, then stepped behind Piccolos broad back, hiding herself from view.  


"The small talk is over, they are here!" Piccolo hissed, amazed at the _Ki_ coming from the pair of aliens floating in the sky. Piccolo's impression of them was of two men, one of them huge, dwarfing even the late Raditz, who had not been small. He was bald with a cruelly handsome face, and wore armor identical to what Raditz had worn, with breastplates and trunks, boots and wrist braces. His face spread in a wicked smile as he looked over their small group.  


The second Saiyan was much smaller, his black eyes cold and hard. His hair was startling, not for its dark red-brown color, but because it stood up on his head, defying gravity. His armor matched Raimi's almost exactly, but his suit was blue and his scouter pink screened. Both of them wore their tails wrapped around their waists like belts as Raimi did.  


"Look, there are four mighty shrimps now!" the big one said, his voice as big as he was.  
"I think they were expecting us, Nappa." The shorter one said his voice soft and husky.  


"Hey, why are you hiding that guy?" Nappa asked as he and Vegeta dropped to the ground. "We can see you with the scouters, you know. Why are you here if you're a chicken?"  


Piccolo looked over his shoulder at Raimi, who nodded and crossed her arms as he stepped aside. She stared evenly at the two Saiyans, trying not to betray her curiosity.  


"What!" Both Saiyans exclaimed in unison, surprised to see a woman dressed as a Saiyan warrior, especially on the Earth. Though she was very feminine, her arms and legs showed great strength, and the scouters showed a decent level.  


Raimi and Vegeta stared at each other, oblivious to anyone else around them. Raimi felt her cheeks get hot, but couldn't look away from him. Though he resembled his father the Brat, he was different too. He was much more attractive, almost pretty. Or he would be, if he weren't frowning all the time. She felt weird, breathless, and for the moment she felt truly seventeen. With great effort, she flicked her eyes to Nappa, but he didn't seem to recognize her. Raimi was baffled by the emotions she was feeling, and couldn't name.  


"Get a grip, Raimi, these guys want to kill you, you know!" She whispered to herself.  


Prince Vegeta tried to hide his interest in the female Saiyan, but he couldn't seem to stop staring at her. He'd never seen any girl as pretty as she was, and he was further fascinated by her red hair, so un-Saiyan like. He felt himself wanting to do things he'd never wanted before; women were a weakness for warriors to get involved with. Vegeta had avoided them, as he avoided or destroyed any weakness within himself. But this was different, since she was one of his own kind. Too bad he had to kill her for treason…wait, he didn't. He could do as he pleased, and since she was probably the last female of his kind, he'd be generous and give her a pardon. She could be very useful…whether she wanted to be or not. Now then, just why was she here?  


"Hmmm, oh yes, that's right. Nappa, remember what Raditz said? She's that Saiyan girl that helped Kakarrot."  
"Well, well, a tomboy, huh? You should go home, Girlie. That armor won't save you from us!" Nappa laughed.   


Raimi didn't bat an eyelash at his remarks. His voice did break the spell the Prince and Raimi had fallen under, thankfully. Now they could get down to business. "So, have you been preparing for us?" Vegeta asked them, smiling smugly.  


"How did you guess?" Piccolo sighed. "Let's just make this clear…exactly what do you want here?"  
"Ah, that voice…it was you who killed Raditz, wasn't it?" Vegeta asked in return.  
"My voice?" Piccolo was puzzled.  


"Oh, Raditz didn't tell you that the scouter," Vegeta tapped the device over his left ear, "Also acts as a transmitter?" His smile didn't touch his eyes.  


"Hey, he's a Namek," Nappa noted. Piccolo started at this. The others looked at him, curious about this information. Raimi took advantage of the distraction to peek at Vegeta once more, then blushed and shook her head, trying to clear it. She had better get a grip on herself, or she'd end up dead or worse!  


"Yes. Not so strange that Raditz was beaten then…" Vegeta mused, but was looking at Raimi and Gohan as he spoke. He seemed to be comparing their faces, obviously thinking that Gohan was hers and Goku's son, and not the half Earthling that he really was. Even tailless, Gohan looked like a Saiyan child.  


"They say that the Namek's possess strange powers, even beyond their extraordinary fighting skills, even sorcery…you made those Dragonballs, didn't you?" Vegeta stated. Raimi smiled, admiring his deductive reasoning. He was smart, a lot smarter than his partner was, even smarter than his father. The Brat was one of the smartest people Raimi had ever met. However, this Vegeta was wrong. It was Kami who had created the Dragonballs long ago. Of course, Vegeta didn't know that there were two Namek's on Earth. His eyes met hers with the barest nod, acknowledging her unspoken compliment, and then he looked at Kurilin as he gasped.  


"You know about the Dragonballs?" Kurilin said.  


"Of course! Why else would we bother with this dump? Hand them over!" Nappa sneered. "Bring on all the Namek's you can find. They are just slugs to us!" Piccolo was recovering from the shock of finding that he was as alien to the Earth as these Saiyans were. He briefly wondered if this Raimi had known about it. Piccolo grinned at the Saiyans. "Well, you're wrong. My specialty is combat, as you will see…Now," he dropped into an attack stance, "Who is a slug?" he chuckled.  



	29. XXVIIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXVIIII "If you won't give us information on the Dragonballs we'll just have to beat it out of you." Vegeta warned. At this, all four of the defenders dropped into their defensive stances. Immediately Nappa's scouter ran numbers on them for him.  


"Let's see, the Kid is 981...Namek is 1220...Girlie is 2000...2000! And Baldy is 1083..." Nappa seemed startled by the figures, especially Raimi's, as was Piccolo, judging by his face. "Fools! D'you think you can challenge us with power levels like those? Even you Girlie, that's not even close to me!" Raimi raised an eyebrow at his bragging.  


"Nappa, take off your scouter." Vegeta said amiably.   
"What?" Nappa turned and looked down at the shorter man.  


"Those numbers are worthless. These slugs vary their powers to suit the battle." Vegeta explained as he pulled off his own scouter. He dropped it on the ground and watched the four of them thoughtfully.  


"That's right! That weakling Raditz was beaten because he relied on those numbers, and they were wrong all along." Nappa laughed, pleased with himself for figuring it out on his own.  


"Raditz, a weakling?" Piccolo gasped, feeling cold.  
"Isn't he the guy who nearly clobbered both you and Goku?" Kurilin asked Piccolo.  
"Yes, he WAS." Raimi nodded, reminding them that Raditz HAD been beaten, after all. The Saiyans smiled at their distress.  


"Weakling, huh?" Kurilin chuckled ruefully. Vegeta was looking at them, and then smiled a frosty smile that made Gohan shiver.  


"Why don't we see what they can really do? Then we'll ask them about the Dragonballs again..." Vegeta said so quietly that only Nappa and Raimi's sensitive Saiyan ears could hear him at all. "Hey, Nappa, weren't there six Saibaimen seeds left?" Raimi's eyes narrowed at this, and Kurilin, who had long ago realized that she was an excellent indicator of things to come, swallowed nervously.  


"Heh Heh Heh, you like to play games, don't you, Vegeta?" Nappa laughed.  
"Saibaimen? What..." Kurilin hissed.  
"What are those?" Gohan finished as Nappa dug around in his armor, finally locating a small vial.  


"Nasty, that's what they are." Raimi murmured, as Nappa poked six holes into the ground. He dropped one seed into each hole, covered them, and watered the seeds with fluid from the vial. He stepped back, tossed the vial over his shoulder, and sighed.  


"There now," He said and winked at Vegeta, who turned to the defenders. All eyes were on the six tiny piles of dirt. In the crushing silence, everyone heard the small sounds as the earth pushed up where the seeds had been planted. All four of the defenders gasped as six things freed themselves from the soil. Vaguely humanoid in appearance, they were obviously plants, but without roots. They were ugly, smelly and looked evil.  


"Yech! I don't like the looks of these guys!" Kurilin said. Raimi grimaced, remembering her own training sessions with them, and Kakarrot's laughter at her exclamations of disgust at the way they smelled. He'd made her keep going until it took a dozen Saibaimen to slow her down. These six weren't even a challenge anymore.  


"Those four, they are your targets." Vegeta said to the six green men, his voice sharp with command.  
"This could be harder than we thought." Kurilin sighed.  


"I'd say so..." Piccolo agreed. All four of the defenders paused and looked up, just as Tien and Chauzu arrived, followed immediately by Yamcha.  


"Sorry I'm late!" Yamcha smiled warmly at Raimi and looked curiously at Gohan, who looked startlingly like Goku had when Yamcha had first met him. Raimi smiled and nodded.  
"I'm glad you made it." She said. Yamcha gave her half a grin and turned to face the opponents.  


"They do keep coming, don't they?" Vegeta laughed.  
"Like a swarm of gnats..." Nappa agreed. The Saibaimen looked up at Vegeta for more orders.  


"Uh, weren't there supposed to only be two Saiyans?" Tien asked rhetorically.  
"Why don't you file a complaint?" Kurilin laughed.  


"I propose a game. How about if all of you fight, one at a time. For sport?" Vegeta offered. Piccolo growled and stepped forward.  
"A game? Absurd! Let's get this over with!" he roared, angry at the superior attitude that Vegeta was displaying towards them.  


"No! This could work out for us, since Goku is not here yet!" Kurilin told the angry Namek. Piccolo stared at him, then looked at Raimi, who nodded. He relaxed, and nodded. She was the expert on these guys after all, so he'd listen to her, when he felt like it of course.  


"Fine! I'll go first." Tien volunteered.  
"The Saibaimen will surprise that little man, I think!" Nappa laughed uproariously. However, Vegeta did not seem so certain of that.  


"You, take him. And give him everything." Vegeta pointed to one of the creatures.  
"Good luck!" Chauzu called as Tien strode forward. The Saibaiman leapt toward Tien and was easily repelled. Tien jumped into a counter attack, but the creature landed on its feet and leaned forward. Its head cracked open and some strange fluid shot out at Tien. He moved aside easily, and the stuff nearly landed on Kurilin instead. The others all stared as the liquid ate the ground where it had landed, leaving a furrow twelve feet long and two feet deep in the ground.  


"Yikes! Ugh!" Kurilin gulped, staring at the steaming gouge where he had been standing.  


"Of course, Yokaieki...very nasty ability...it must be impatient," Raimi murmured as Tien struck the Saibaiman a hard blow to its head. It flew a short distance and lay on the ground, apparently spent.  


"It can't be!" Nappa was stunned.  
"That's Tien for you!" Kurilin bragged as Tien took a deep breath and relaxed slightly.  


"Hmm, looks like they will be able to entertain us after all!" Vegeta commented his eyes on the fallen Saibaiman. "It's impossible. The Saibaimen's power is over 1200 points, equal to Raditz, everyone of them!" Nappa exclaimed. He seemed shaken by this turn of events.  


"Ergo, that fellows power is greater still." Vegeta explained, unconcerned. He sounded as if he was soothing a frightened child.  
"But our data never showed..." Nappa insisted as the fallen Saibaiman began to rise. It stood quivering with frustration, looking vengeful.  


"Tien, it's getting back up!" Chauzu called to his guardian. However, Vegeta lowered his head and used a Shogekiha on it, which made it explode into an ugly pile of plant guts. Everyone, including Nappa and the other Saibaimen stared at him baffled. Only Raimi, who had known his father so well, understood what a statement Vegeta was making. One, Vegeta didn't tolerate failure from his warriors. Two, he was showing a small example of just how strong he really was. A very small example.  



	30. XXX

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXX "What...What...?" Tien stuttered, stunned.  
"V-Vegeta, why?" Nappa asked at last.  


"The Earthling already had him beaten. It would have been a waste of time." Vegeta shrugged. He turned to the remaining Saibaimen, who shivered when his black eyes fell on them. "Your companion underestimated his opponent. And didn't I tell him to go all out?" he warned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The message was clear, defeat the Earthlings, or perish at Vegeta's hands. The defenders were gaping in horror, still stunned by his effortless feat. They hadn't even felt him power up to do it. Piccolo looked down at Raimi.  


"He destroyed it with a gesture? What a power..." he whispered. She nodded.  
"Ah, but he's not the problem; Nappa is the one we must focus on. Leave Vegeta for Goku, Piccolo." She warned. His eyes widened, and then he looked closer at the giant Saiyan.  


"Who'll be next? This time, hit with everything!" Vegeta jeered at the shivering Saibaimen. Kurilin moved forward to fight, but Yamcha stopped him.  
"Let me do it. I'll teach them that playtime's over." He said, confident.  


"Listen, Yamcha, I can..." Kurilin said nervous. His eyes turned to Raimi, looking for some reason to jump in anyway, but she shook her head imperceptibly. Still, there was something about her eyes that worried him.  


"You've already been restored to life by the Dragonballs. You don't get another chance." Yamcha said reasonably. He looked at Raimi who smiled sadly and winked at him. He turned to the creature that had stepped forward. "Now try me!"  


Raimi clenched her fists, feeling torn by her emotions. She knew that Yamcha was not supposed to survive this bout, but she wasn't sure that she could stand by and watch him die. She trembled slightly as she fought her urge to destroy the Saibaimen herself, and save him, regardless of destiny or fate.  


"Ah. A hot shot." Vegeta sighed, not impressed with Yamcha's bravado.  
"Show 'em what the Saibaimen are made of!" Nappa yelled.  


The combatants stepped forward, and then blurred out, moving so fast that Gohan's untrained eyes couldn't see them. "They, they're gone!" he gasped, amazed.  


"They are moving at super speed, numbskull! Feel their _Ki_! Everyone can see them but you!" Piccolo told him. Sure enough, everyone else, even the Saiyans, was watching the same areas at the same time. Raimi smiled as she realized that it looked as if they were all watching an invisible tennis match, as Yamcha and his opponent moved about at hyper speed.  


Piccolo sighed and watched the fight while he taught Gohan how to see with his _Ki_ a different technique than feeling where someone was. "Gohan, hold your eyes open, don't blink... now, listen closely... if your ears are like your fathers, you can hear a pin drop." Gohan's head began to turn as he followed the sounds of the combatant's blows.  


"No, just listen, and now, think ahead to where they are going... see the _Ki_ that they are using... try to predict where they are going next... " Gohan gasped as Yamcha and the Saibaiman suddenly seemed to resolve back into view. He watched them with his eyes turning to follow them; until Raimi chuckled and told him he could turn his head now.  


Suddenly, the Saibaiman shot away from Yamcha to try a new tactic. It was slowly becoming apparent that Yamcha had the advantage of it. Raimi could see what it was up to, and knew what to expect anyway. Yamcha dodged the creature as it tried to latch onto him. As it flew past him, he shot an uncalled Kamehameha at it, and slammed it into the ground hard. Its hard shell dug a crater into the ground, and it lay still. It looked dead.  


"Again..." Nappa whispered, and Vegeta was beginning to look angry. Yamcha dropped to the edge of the crater, smiling.  


"These monsters aren't as fearsome as they look. I'll clean up the other four by myself..." he smirked as he looked at Kurilin and Raimi, then noticed Raimi's pale face. She wasn't smiling, not at all...  


The Saibaiman twitched, its claws clicking as it gathered itself. Vegeta smiled.  
"Heh Heh...Seems like it's your turn to underestimate..." he laughed.  


"What?" Yamcha realized that the creature had only been stunned, and took one step back before the monster leapt out of the crater at him.  


"Yamcha, duck!" Raimi yelled, and froze as he barely avoided the creature's grasp. He spun on one foot and marshaled his entire _Ki_ to blast the Saibaiman into bits. It squealed as it exploded, bits of it flying everywhere. Yamcha stood and took a deep breath, then turned and the smile he gave to Raimi made her heart beat faster.  


"Thank you, Raimi. He would have got me if it weren't for you... " He said, and strode back to the others. Vegeta was scowling fit to break his face, and Nappa was glowering too.  


"I think that they just broke the rules, don't you?" Nappa said. Vegeta nodded.  
"Yes, I believe they did, Nappa. What happens when someone breaks the rules?" He said quietly, eyes locked onto Yamcha's back. The warrior had just reached the others, and was looking at the woman like... like... Vegeta was actually startled when Nappa aimed his palm at Yamcha's back.  


Raimi looked up at Yamcha, eyes wide. She was glad he was alive, even if it complicated things later. She thought she'd saved him from the untimely death that she'd know him to suffer.  


_She was wrong_.  


As the defenders watched Yamcha smile broadly about his victory, they didn't realize that Nappa was about to rectify the Saibaiman's mistake. He aimed and not even powering up, shot a blast at Yamcha. No one could move, it was just too fast. It hit his back, and exploded out his chest horribly. Raimi caught him as he fell to his knees, but she could see that he was dead already. She stared into his wide eyes, so dark a blue that they appeared black, and realized two things.  


One was that she was going to kill Nappa, no matter what she knew of the results of the day's battle.  


Two was that she couldn't stop the deaths of her friends, if they were fated to die. She was not here to do that it seemed. So what was she her for?  


She felt numb as she touched his face and closed his eyes, and then laid him on his front so Gohan wouldn't see the ghastly ruin of Yamcha's body. She stood, and stared at Nappa with eyes that blazed her hatred for him. He wasn't concerned, not in the least. On the contrary, he couldn't wait...  


"Yamcha!" Kurilin cried as he knelt over his friend. "How am I going to break this to Pu'ar and Bulma?" He said, and looked at Raimi angrily. She looked at him with eyes full of sorrow.  


"I... I tried, Kurilin, I really did, the Saibaiman was supposed to kill him, not Nappa," she said, and choked. "_Good Travels, Warrior. May Snake Way lead you home_." She whispered, and Kurilin remembered when she'd said that to Goku as he died. It must be some kind of formal farewell... He stared until he realized what she meant. Raimi's eyes dropped back to Yamcha's back, and she reached out as if to touch him one more time, but stopped. Kurilin jumped to his feet in righteous fury.   


"Pick up your trash, little man!" She heard Nappa taunt.  
"Shut... Your... Mouth... " Kurilin replied, his voice deadly. "Get back all of you!" he warned the defenders. He powered up, and sent a slow thick beam towards the group of aliens. Raimi stood and watched as the area was washed white by his _Ki_.  


"Chauzu, get back, it'll blow you to pieces!" Tien warned, surprised by Kurilin's power. He and Chauzu backed off, along with Gohan, though Piccolo and Raimi stayed put.  


"Tremendous power, but no speed! It's like a sign saying, "Get away"!" Piccolo criticized, as Saibaimen darted in all directions. The Saiyans didn't back down from the beam racing towards them, obviously feeling able to handle it. However Kurilin showed that like Master Roshi, who had trained him, he was a master of _Ki_ energy. He split his hands, and the beam swung upwards sharply, so close to Vegeta that he was forced to lean back from it, and his hair looked as red as Raimi's in its light. The beam went high in the air, and then split into six different rays, each ray falling to hit either a Saiyan or a Saibaiman. Vegeta and Nappa could be seen trying to block just before the dust rose, obstructing the defenders view of them. Everyone peered into the cloud.  


"He did it!" Tien and Chauzu called.  
"No, I missed one," Kurilin panted.  


"Wow...Wow Kurilin!" Gohan gushed, and then the last Saibaiman dashed out of the cloud, headed right for Gohan. The boy was stunned with surprise, unable to move. Suddenly Raimi's hand came down on its arm, halting it mid-attack. It gurgled in fear as she looked down into its eyes, and took it by the neck. Everyone watched, curious about what she would do. She smiled sweetly at the creature, and it squealed, looking for the other Saibaimen for some support. It was all alone now though, and looked up at her, quivering.  


"Shine, Baka Na Saibai!" Raimi said softly. It gibbered at her, and her smile turned cold, as she flexed her fingers on its neck. She didn't appear to be doing anything to it, but the guys could feel that something was going on. The Saibaiman gurgled, and began to glow slightly as Raimi charged it with her _Ki_. Finally she flung it away; it landed on its feet, and seemed unharmed, until she turned and raised her hand, two fingers pointed up. It exploded mightily, and Raimi's smile faded. "That was for you, Yamcha, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more..." she said softly..  


"Hey, how strong are you anyway?" Tien asked. She shrugged, not willing to answer.  
"Thank you Miss Raimi." Gohan said. Raimi nodded and smiled then knelt in front of him, her face serious.  


"But Gohan, you must be more alert. What if Piccolo or I weren't close enough to help you? You must be ready, and be strong. Don't be caught napping again, okay?" She saw Piccolo nod in agreement.  


"She is right. I wish she had left it to me, I could have used a little warm-up for the great battle to come..."  
Gohan blushed with embarrassment, but seemed to get the message. Raimi turned to look at the clearing dust cloud. The party was just beginning...  


"Heh heh heh...I hope it will be a great battle..." Vegeta's voice came from the dust. He and Nappa emerged, smiling.  
"Now what say we end playtime?" Vegeta purred.  
"Now it's time for the real thing!" Nappa added.  


"It's not possible! It didn't affect them at all!" Tien said worriedly.  
"They...they must have taken it head-on too..." Chauzu squeaked.  


"But, I used my full power! So this is what Saiyans are..." Kurilin said, thinking that they were very lucky that Goku had lost his "programming" to destroy the Earth, because his race sure seemed to be nearly indestructible. Certainly even Gohan was tough; it couldn't have been easy to be trained by Piccolo.  


"By the way, you..." Vegeta pointed at Raimi. "That was very clever. You are stronger than we thought; I'll be watching you."  


"Thank you for noticing my puny power!" She laughed. He was guessing, since he wasn't wearing his scouter. He had never developed the psychic skills that all the warriors of the Earth's Defense had; he never had needed them. Still, Raimi knew he had it in him to learn, once he figured out that they could do it. She just hoped it would happen too late to help him with Goku...  



	31. XXXI

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXXI "Let me have them. I'll kill all six at once." Nappa said, grinning like a schoolboy.  
"Sure. As you want." Vegeta shrugged, not really interested.  
"Thanks for letting me have all the fun..."  


"_But Nappa, don't touch the girl, we may need her. After all, she is one of us_." Vegeta said quietly in Saiya-go. Nappa scowled, but Vegeta's cold black eyes brooked no argument. The huge Saiyan began to power up, and the Earth began to shake in response to his strength. The Defenders were appalled by what they were feeling, and tried to prepare themselves for the attack.  


"I never thought it would be so much!" Piccolo called through the wind coming from Nappa as the giant laughed in homicidal glee.  


"Get ready!" Raimi shouted, leaning into the gale, which was nearly blowing her off her feet. Gohan almost fell, and she grabbed him, both of them amazed at this _Ki_. He was much stronger than when he was on Vegeta-sei!  


"Watch out, he's getting ready to attack!" Piccolo warned, as Nappa began to look them over. Chauzu was forced to put up a shield of energy to protect himself from the rocks and debris that were flying about. Nappa's eyes instantly went to him.  


"Be careful, Chauzu!" Tien warned, too late. Nappa used his Saiko No Kogeki, a breath based _Ki_ attack on Chauzu, which sent him flying into the rocks behind him, but luckily the boy was only stunned.  


"Lessee, who's next?" Nappa said as he once more looked the group over. "Hey, you just struck my funny bone!" He laughed and focused on Tien. Tien hissed and dropped into a defensive crouch, ready for the attack. Nappa roared and leapt forward engaging Tien in serious fighting. After a few blows that already had Tien reeling, Nappa jumped up in the air and dove at him.  


"Look out Tien!" Piccolo warned, but it was too late. Nappa slammed his fist into Tien's forearm, and severed it, cut it clean off mid-forearm. The warrior grabbed it howling with rage.  


"Just you wait until it grows back!" Tien yelled, his blood dripping onto the dry earth.  
"You won't be around that long!" Nappa laughed, and licked his lips, looking at the horrendous wound he had caused. Raimi felt sick at his behavior.  


"So, he's breakable." Vegeta joked. Gohan gasped and stared in shock, and Raimi shuddered with horror. Chauzu was getting worried; even though the loss of a limb was not necessarily permanent for someone of Tien's race, he was severely handicapped right now, and they all knew it. Nappa swung at Tien again, but he jumped up and readied a blast of _Ki_ in his right hand. However, Nappa shot up, so fast that Tien couldn't react as the Saiyan kicked him to the ground. Tien landed flat on this belly, and lay there, winded by the impact.  


"Look at that stubborn bastard! He just won't die!" Nappa mused, floating in the air.  
"No...we need to get to his tail somehow." Piccolo growled as Gohan shivered next to him. Kurilin suddenly shoved past Piccolo and ran over to Tien, calling his name. Raimi called to stop him, but it was too late.  


"Why that little rodent!" Nappa hissed, and sent a mighty blast at Kurilin. It hit the ground and exploded massively. Kurilin was thrown from his feet, flying across the field. Raimi covered her eyes, but didn't step away and the others braced themselves against the shock wave. When Raimi opened her eyes, she gasped in shock.  


"I never dreamed of such a blast, this thing is bottomless!" Piccolo gasped, amazed. The hole left by the blast opened only inches from his and Raimi's feet. He looked at her, impressed with her bravery. They looked up at Nappa. Raimi noticed that he had kept the blast a good fifty feet from Vegeta. Not that he could hurt Vegeta, but why piss his boss off?  


"Chauzu! Chauzu! He's gone! He must have...if he was caught in that...!" Kurilin suddenly cried.  
"What...What?" Tien called, panicked.  


"Nappa, you're being careless." Vegeta called, as Chauzu came out of nowhere and latched onto Nappa's broad back. "What?" Nappa grunted and reached back to pull the tiny warrior off, but Chauzu was dead center between Nappa's shoulders, and Nappa couldn't reach him easily.   


"Chauzu!" Tien gasped, but the boy ignored his guardian and held on, as Nappa wriggled about, really stretching to try and pluck him off.  


"Why...you...little..." Nappa was putting out some serious effort now, as Vegeta was frowning, not impressed with Nappa's performance so far. The giant Saiyan was stretching until his tendons creaked, but Chauzu was simply too tiny. Finally Nappa got one hand on Chauzu's head, but then the boy put out a power surge that Raimi had felt in training at Kami's sanctuary. It felt like a splash of hot acid, and obviously even Nappa thought it hurt. He snapped his hand away and hissed in pain. Then the energy got stronger, and sank into Nappa's back through his armor. Nappa's back arched instinctively to try to get away, and then he looked over his shoulder and flew backwards, slamming his back into a high pillar of rocks, trying to crush his tiny opponent. Chauzu hung on, his energy giving him nominal protection.  


"Chauzu get away from there!" Tien ordered, getting desperate. Chauzu was the weakest of them, and couldn't last long under this abuse, as Nappa slammed him into cliffs and bluffs repeatedly.  


"Oh, Chauzu!" Gohan yelped, and covered his eyes.  
"Watch, them Gohan! I said watch! Don't turn away! Honor his bravery..." Piccolo ordered his pupil. Gohan gasped at the Namek for a moment then forced his eyes back to the horrid spectacle.  
"You're asking for it!" Nappa warned the tiny warrior.  


"Chauzu, get off! That's enough!" Tien ordered, but could only stare as he suddenly realized what Chauzu intended. He turned to Raimi, who shook her head. He looked up again as Nappa rose high in the air, Chauzu's energy a blue halo shining from his back. Nappa scanned the area, looking for the worst thing he could find to shove the pest on his back into.  


"Chauzu, what are you doing!" Tien gasped. He looked back to Raimi desperately, and she reached out her hand to him, her eyes full of sympathy. He shook his head and looked back at the pair in the sky, feeling helpless. With a roar of rage, Nappa began to dive, racing towards a nest of rocks bristling with sharp points.  


"_Goodbye my friend. Save yourself_!" Chauzu called to Tien telepathically.  
"No! Stop it! You can't do this!" Tien cried, helpless to prevent his friends' suicide. The others, who hadn't heard Chauzu, were watching puzzled and worried.  


The hum of overload hurt Raimi's ears, and even Vegeta winced at it. The sparkling blue light was beautiful as Chauzu pushed his power level incredibly high. The light spread all over both Chauzu and Nappa, and began to cloud the Saiyans vision.  


"What?" Nappa said. Vegeta frowned, and his arms dropped to his side, as he stepped forward, wondering if Nappa could fend this off. Both Chauzu and Nappa increased their efforts, racing to finish each other off.  



	32. XXXII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXXII "_Good travels, little warrior_!" Raimi said softly, and Kurilin clenched his fists when he heard her. "_May Snake Way Lead You Safely Home_." This was awful! They would all be dead before Goku got back at this rate!  


"Chauzu! No..." Tien whispered, not really believing that this was happening. Twenty feet from the targeted rocks, Chauzu exploded. A pretty pink cloud shot out, blocking their sight of the pair, streamers falling to earth from it. Everyone stared sadly at the boiling cloud, impressed even in his or her sadness. Then Tien was hit with the full realization of what had happened, and he screamed his rage and loss.  


"So, he blew himself up to take out his opponent! He's won my respect." Piccolo said, very impressed. Kurilin wept silently, as Raimi laid a hand on his shoulder gently.  


"I am so sorry Kurilin," she said softly, looking up at the cloud. She knew that it had not been enough, and Chauzu had died in vain. Coming into view as the cloud dispersed was Nappa, virtually unharmed. The others suddenly realized as well, and were stunned. Nappa laughed as he wiped sweat from his eyes.  


"Ha ha! What a waste of effort. You guys still don't get it, do you?!" Nappa mocked them.  
"Nappa, he almost had you, so don't tease them." Vegeta critiqued, not impressed with his partners' survival of that blast at all.  


"What...it's not possible...I-it didn't even faze 'im, not even a scratch! Something's not right here! Chauzu gave his life...for nothing?" Kurilin said, appalled at this turn of events. Raimi walked around him, eyeing Vegeta.  


"The Dragonballs...we used them to restore his life once already! He can't come back ever again!" Tien said, so angry that he was trembling.  


"Lucky for you, you get to see him soon, in HELL!" Nappa laughed maniacally. Raimi shivered at the sound. He was nuts! He sounded insane, like a homicidal maniac. She looked away from him, and noticed for the first time that they all stood in the middle of a sort of hurricane, caused by all the powerful _Ki_ in one place, more than the Earth had ever had to endure before. Then she realized that Vegeta had moved around behind them. She wasn't too worried about him attacking them yet. For him, it was more amusing to watch Nappa take them on; Nappa just might get clobbered, after all.  


"You are going to pay for this!" Tien said, gathering himself quietly as Nappa slowly descended.  
"You don't seem so gung-ho as before!" Nappa sneered at Tien.  


"Man this is nuts! What now Piccolo, what should we do now?" Kurilin yelped.  
"Hang in there, we're here for a reason," Piccolo replied, hiding his own concern.  


Tien dropped to his knees in mental anguish. He kept murmuring Chauzu's name as his level rose higher and higher, reflecting his agitation.  


"Okay...I'm set...this one's for you Chauzu!" he shouted, then leapt up and attacked the smirking Saiyan. They fought hard, and Nappa was backing away, but he had tremendous advantage. Nappa was taller and heavier, with a longer reach and of course two arms.  


"Hey, not bad!" Piccolo admitted.  
"Man, He's fired up!" Kurilin said.  


Tien swung a mighty blow at Nappa, who dodged, but was mildly surprised when the huge tower of rocks that Tien hit instead disintegrated from the blow. Nappa grinned and drove his knee into Tien's belly so hard that Tien flew straight up for twenty feet. The second he hit the ground, Tien was back up and fighting. The action was so intense that it was making the mini hurricane get more violent.  


Raimi was getting nervous. She could feel Vegeta staring at her, and wished he would watch the fight. His gaze was as heavy as lead on the back of her head.  
"For goodness sake, lay off!" she whispered, and tried to focus on Tien and Nappa.  


"Don't stop now, Ugly! I might break a sweat if you keep going!" Nappa taunted, then laid it to Tien, temporarily dropping him.   


"How can he get up after all that? I've got to help him!" Kurilin growled. He glared at Raimi resentful that she wasn't doing anything to help Tien. He could feel her power, and couldn't understand her reticence. He still didn't understand what she'd been trying to tell him when Yamcha died.  


"Kurilin wait!" Piccolo snapped. Kurilin froze and looked back at him, responding to the voice of command.  


"He's going to focus closer and closer on Tien. In the instant he sees Tien and only Tien, that's when we attack." Piccolo stared at Nappa, as Kurilin searched Piccolos face. He nodded, the logic too obvious to deny. "Raimi, wait here, and wait for the signal..." She nodded.  


"All right, good. Did you get that, Gohan?" Piccolo said to the boy, who nodded shakily.  
"Hey, that's a good plan!" Vegeta chuckled behind them. They turned cautiously to look at him. "I hope it works for your sakes, though of course... I don't think it will." He added, smirking.  


"Huh?" Piccolo stared wide-eyed at the Saiyan.  
"Don't take your eyes off him...you'll miss your instant." Vegeta warned matter of factly. He stared back at Piccolo, amused by the possibilities of this plan.  


"So confident! I hope I get to see your face when Son Goku arrives." Piccolo practically purred, amused by the thought of Goku tearing into these Saiyans. He had never been so eager to see his nemesis as now.  


"What? Goku, eh? Who's he? Your secret weapon?" Vegeta's eyes lit with curiosity and excitement. A strong opponent for once was an exciting though unlikely prospect. Piccolo didn't answer. Just then Nappa rushed Tien with a roar.  


"Let's go guys!" Kurilin shouted as Tien was tossed into a cliff then fell, hitting the ground hard.  
"Wait Kurilin, just a few more seconds..." Piccolo ordered as he turned away from Vegeta and waited, watching for the right moment...  


"What's wrong? No, no, don't tell me! I think I know what you need...A nice trip...To Hell! One way, of course!" Nappa laughed at Tien, who was winded and having trouble rising. "Ready!" Nappa shouted, serious now. As he dove at Tien, Piccolo yelled.  


"Gohan wait! Kurilin, now!"  
"Right!" Kurilin agreed as they took off. Raimi leapt back, and waited as well, getting ready to help. She knew what was to happen, and was torn about trying to change it.  


Tien looked up at Nappa as the huge Saiyan raced towards him, trying to gather his energy, when Piccolo appeared behind Nappa. "Come at me!!" He called.  


"Now, die Baka! Huh?" Nappa was startled by Piccolo's sudden appearance, and even more so when Piccolo socked his jaw. Nappa went flying straight towards Kurilin, who met him with doubled fists, and sent him racing towards Gohan. The boy was supposed to use a beam of energy on him, but Raimi decided to blast the Saiyan herself. She knew Gohan was going to freeze, and Piccolo had hinted that she was to do it if necessary. She powered up and took one step forward...  


And felt a hand grab her left wrist from behind. She spun left, holding her right arm away, and stared into Vegeta's eyes, surprised. She pulled on her arm to try to free it, but of course he was too powerful, he was easily three times as strong as she was. They stood facing each other, still as statues, right toes touching as they braced themselves and held firm. She was so close to him, that she could see the pupils of his black eyes as a deeper black, and that there were little gold flecks in the irises. She felt herself blushing again.  


"Well, well, I'm surprised. You saved Nappa from little old me? You flatter me, Vegeta..." She said. She was feeling that power surge again, and didn't want him to notice the change. He made no move to attack her, so she stopped pulling against him. They stared at each other curiously, the heat now like a fire in her muscles and tendons. She welcomed the pain, knowing she would be more than a match for Nappa, if she got a chance to fight him. Luckily Vegeta wasn't wearing his scouter. He would have seen her rating skyrocketing if he had been.  


"Ah, they haven't got a chance in Hell of stopping Nappa, but you are a Saiyan too, and I have a hunch you are stronger than he is. I think you could annihilate him if I let you..." He said smoothly. He looked her over, surprised at just how strong she was. She was a Saiyan all right, but why was she here? She was too young to have been born on Vegeta-sei, and thus was actually to young to be a Royal Guard...so where did she get that armor?  


Raimi's fingers were numb from his grip on her wrist, but she didn't move. She could hear her body groaning, and it was all she could do not to double over from the pain. She could even hear her armor creak quietly as her muscles expanded and flexed. His eyes flicked to the field, but she couldn't afford to peek also. She tugged on her arm once more, and they both were surprised when he had to pull back against her strength. Her efforts hadn't even been able to make him move just a moment ago, but her "Saiyan Power" was forcing her to become as powerful as he. He could let go right now, and she still would be as strong as he in mere moments. She smiled at the realization. Of course the longer they struggled, the faster it would be, if the past were any indication. Now, how to break free from his grip on her arm...She thought of something, and smiled impishly at him, showing no fear of him what so ever.  


"Who are you?" Vegeta asked, uneasy. This was impossible! No Saiyan got so strong so fast! She should need some time for her level to adjust, a day or so at least...but she had just shown strength that probably surpassed Nappa's, and might even meet his own.  


"Me? My name is Raimi, _Oji-sama_..." She said, and then leapt at him, pulling their arms down between them. Their armor made a loud clack as their bodies collided. Vegeta stumbled as she wrapped her right arm around his neck and then of all things kissed him. He windmilled his right arm, trying to keep their balance.  


Raimi wasn't trying to seduce him; but she did know that he had a hard time recovering from things that really surprised him, and what could be more surprising than this? However, the second her lips touched his, her body was racked with agony. The heat in her muscles became an inferno, and her nerves screamed with pain. What the hell was going on here? This hadn't happened before; she had to get away from him, before she exploded from overload! Luckily Vegeta released her wrist in his surprise, and she stepped back. She spun around, gasping and trembling as her body tried to adjust. She dropped to one knee as the rush of hormones, pheromones, and steroids in her system made her dizzy.  


"That was an unusual attack, I must say. You're quick on your feet." Vegeta said, but he still seemed uneasy. Raimi looked at him over her shoulder at him, and then he smiled.  


"I was right. You are a rare and precious creature; I've never heard of such Saiyan ability. You'll bear watching from now on, and don't think I won't be watching you, _Kirei_..." he said. His eyes were different somehow. She had impressed him quite a lot with her bold "attack". He watched her as she regained her feet.  


"Well, I'm as surprised as you are." She said. She reminded herself not to trust him, and stepped back away keeping her customary ten feet between them.  


"I intend to take you with us, Raimi. I'll be watching you, so don't do anything...rash understand? Don't make me do something awful to your little friends... If you want Nappa's head, it will have to wait... " She shook her head.  


"I don't intend to wait, at least not for long...." Raimi said softly. "And I think you realize that, don't you Vegeta? When I do kill him, you won't care anymore... " He raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't reply.  



	33. XXXIII

The Soul and The Flesh Part XXXIII While Raimi and Vegeta had been "fighting," Gohan had stared fearfully at the sight of Nappa flying at him, and then ran to hide. When Piccolo and Kurilin saw him run, they wound up and tried to nail Nappa with their own beams, but the Saiyan recovered from their blows and avoided the beams.  


"Aw, he dodged it!" Kurilin yelled, looking up at Nappa as he panted above them. "We were too late!"  


Below the fireworks, Raimi clenched her fist, and smiled at how strong she felt. No wonder he had such an ego. Such power was heady, and corrupting. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, already planning the one thing she could do for her comrades.  


"Oh, yes, you are very special, and one way or another, we are taking you back with us. You will be a nice addition to the team..." Vegeta told her. She looked over her shoulder at him and shook her head, laughing at his puzzled face.  


"Keep on believing that I would ever join the planet trade. I'd rather die myself than become a slave, to you or your boss. And I'll will take you with me to hell if necessary, Vegeta. After all, I am a Saiyan too, and I want to win, no matter the cost of victory. Now then, we are missing all the action..." She turned back to the drama before them, acting like they were at a sporting event; in a way they were. Raimi looked over at Gohan.  


"I'm sorry guys, I just froze..." Gohan sniffed, still scared. Raimi sighed tolerantly. It wasn't surprising, when one remembered that Gohan wasn't quite six years old. The parties still on the ground looked up at the three warriors hanging in the sky, waiting.  


"So, you thought you'd get away with that, eh? You guys just shortened your life spans!" Nappa said, his voice getting louder and angrier by the second. Kurilin and Piccolo got ready, recoiling slightly from the angry giant. Tien was still trying to stand, but seemed to still be too exhausted. Nappa eyed him and laughed.  


"I'll kill you all at once now...prepare yourselves!" he chuckled. His eyes swept over all of them, stopping on Gohan. They all looked at the child, who shivered in embarrassment at such scrutiny.  
"Ah, Gohan...". Kurilin sighed.  


"Ooohh; that kids smarter than I thought!" Nappa chuckled. Raimi strode over to where Tien lay. She heard Piccolo sigh and say Gohan's name. Vegeta laughed; he'd never trust anyone else to help him, or expect a child to fight. These Earthlings were fools in his eyes.  


"All right, let's get down to business. This shouldn't take too long for just the two of you" Nappa said.  
"Nappa, don't forget about the Dragonballs," Vegeta called.  
"That's right, I gotta keep enough strength in the Namek so he can talk!"  


"Man Piccolo, you dog, he thinks you're the only one who knows about the Dragonballs. Lucky Bastard!" Kurilin said.  
"Yeah, well I don't think it's going to matter too much in the end, Kurilin." Piccolo smiled grimly.  


"Yeah, I guess you're right..."  
"Yeah! Now what do you say we attack, before he powers up again!" Piccolo said, and Kurilin nodded. "You're familiar with the Shishin no Ken technique aren't you? Then let's do it, both of us" Nappa looked puzzled as Kurilin and the Namek groaned, straining, and then duplicated themselves twice each, so three versions of each man hung in the air.  


"Wow, cool!" Vegeta said, reluctantly impressed. He had never seen this one before.  
"Yeah, isn't it?" Raimi agreed. She was puzzled by the selection of this attack, since each figure had only one third the power of the original. But Piccolo always seemed to know what he was doing, so...  


The six forms yelled and leapt into an all out assault on Nappa, hammering at him for all they were worth. However, Nappa was blindingly fast, and began to beat them back. He pounded all six of them down to Earth; the two forms re-integrated, leaving Piccolo and Kurilin winded but not beaten.  


Gohan ran to Piccolo when he hit the ground, but Piccolo pushed him away. The boy shrank back, sniffling.  
"I'm sorry, please Piccolo..." he said.  


"I have no time to baby-sit Gohan. If you can't help, go home to your mother. Kurilin, now!" He and Kurilin flew back toward the waiting Nappa.  


Gohan watched them go, wrestling with his fear. Raimi watched him, smiling at the fact that he had forgotten to be scared in his concern for his Sensei. They both heard Tien as he moaned behind Gohan. The warrior had dragged himself over to the bottomless hole, but was totally exhausted. Raimi and Gohan went over to him. Raimi knelt and rested a hand on his shoulder. They all looked up at the pair of defenders facing Nappa in the air.  


"Raimi, we're just killing time for Goku, aren't we? We haven't got a chance against him..." Tien moaned. She looked at him and nodded sadly. He deserved the truth at last. She hated her inability to save these men, her partners, her friends from this pain, but she knew that the reward for this fight would be worth it for them.  


"He can be beaten; but none of the three of you can do it and survive, Tien. Who wants to take the chance for nothing? And, even if you do succeed, there's still Vegeta...". Raimi said very softly. He sagged back into a faint for the moment. She stood over him, Gohan close behind her, and they watched the three in the sky waiting for the next round.  


"Piccolo, if you have some killer attack up your sleeve, feel free to use it any time now." Kurilin said, smiling grimly. The Namek laughed ruefully.  
"Wish I did, but I don't. Hey don't worry; we're not giving up yet. We'll make due with what we have. This guys' strong but he's a Cabbage Head. A baka like he is will surely make a mistake." Piccolo said, knowing full well that Nappa was listening and would get mad.  


"Hey! Making fun of my name are you?! How rude!" Nappa snapped, and then engaged the pair in more fighting. Raimi looked over at Vegeta, noting his smug smile. She sighed and watched the action again. Suddenly, Nappa paused and howled as he powered up, making the wind pick up again. Now the three were shooting back and forth, their raised _Ki_ destroying the granite cliffs when they got too close. The shower of rocks flying about started to wake Tien again. He looked up and started to speak to the ghost of his companion.  


"Chauzu, I'll avenge you...then I'll join you, and we'll never be apart again..." He nodded, realizing what he had to do. He refused to believe Raimi's assessment of the situation. He could beat the huge Saiyan, and he would. It would be the last thing he ever did.  


"Can we help you Mr. Tien?" Gohan asked.  
"No, I've got it..." Tien said as he stumbled forward. "Raimi, tell the others not to wish me back, okay?" She nodded grimly, understanding that he wouldn't return without Chauzu, who could not be wished back anymore. Raimi held Gohan back when he tried to get to Tien. The boy looked up at her, and she shook her head, and pointed up. They both looked and saw the three combatants break off for a moment.  


'Well, have you had enough yet?" Kurilin huffed as Nappa laughed. "Alright, this is your last chance, you'll be sorry!"  


Tien shook his head and strode forward. He raised his fist defiantly, and began to power up hard.  
"All right! It looks like it's my turn!" He called. Raimi stepped in front of Gohan, and warned him quietly to hang onto her. He was puzzled, until he noticed the immense power coming from Tien, whose body was shimmering with light, wavering before his eyes.  


"Oh, boy!" He gasped, grabbing Raimi's leg. A fierce wind came from Tien as he pulled his entire _Ki_ together for his _Kikoho_ attack.  


"All right...this one's for you, Chauzu!" Tien growled. "_Ki_ Kung Blast!" He raised his hand and let fly the Kikoho. It raced up to Nappa, a bright golden light that enveloped the Saiyan. Gohan clung to Raimi as she braced against the force coming from Tien and the beam. Piccolo, Kurilin and Vegeta stared in amazement at it. But only Gohan could hear it when Raimi spoke, and his heart fell when he heard her.  
"Good travels, Tien. You'll be together again now, Warrior..." Gohan gasped, looking up, not believing, and was relived momentarily when he saw Tien still standing. But Tien had put everything he had into that blast; he had nothing left, not even for ten more breaths. As the smoke cleared, Nappa was revealed, badly battered this time, his armor shattered. He was slightly cooked, and winded, but alive.  


"Whoa, don't scare me like that!" Nappa exclaimed with admiration for the exhausted warrior.  
"Ahhh, there's...no way!" Kurilin groaned, fear chilling his spine. He knew how that attack was as dangerous to Tien as it was to his intended victim.  


"I know! This is insane!" Piccolo was finally getting desperate too now.  
"I...I failed...She was right...Damn Saiyans..." Tien gasped, then fell. Raimi ran over to him, nearly toppling the clinging Gohan, and knelt by him, grasping his hand. He squeezed her fingers, and then went limp. Raimi bowed her head in sorrow, and heard Gohan gasp sadly behind her. She had fought hard for Tien's respect, and now his death hurt her more than she had thought it could. She looked up at Kurilin and Piccolo and shook her head.   


Three down, four to go...  



	34. XXXIIII

"Oh, no…" Gohan said softly.  
"Too bad. It probably would have worked if only Nappa hadn't seen him at the last second." Vegeta admitted. "He fought like a man, and died like a dog."  
  
"Oh no! Poor Tien! He gave everything…everything he had to help us! Th-this can't be happening…It's a nightmare…" Kurilin sighed. His shoulders sagged sadly.  
"I…I can't believe that Tenshinhan…all of them, one after another dying…" Piccolo said, even his black heart shaken by the loss of the other warriors.  
  
"Ahhh, Goku why aren't you here! We need you!" Kurilin suddenly howled. Raimi shivered as she felt his cry pierce the barrier between worlds, reaching Goku as he raced back on Snake Way. Then she heard Vegeta mumbling to himself.  
  
"Goku…This isn't the first time they have called for him…they think this Goku can save them; even Kirei (Raimi blushed as he called her gorgeous in Saiya-go again) seems to believe it. Interesting…" He smiled as he realized just who this "Goku" must be.  
  
"Ha ha!" Nappa laughed; there'd be no respect for the dead from Nappa. "Another one down. Now it's your turn. Of course I'll let the Namek jin live… more or less, so he can tell us all about the Dragonballs…" Nappa said, proud that he had remembered all by himself.  
  
"Piccolo, they still think you are the only one who knows about the Dragonballs…I know they intend to kill us, so listen…" Kurilin said. The Demon King turned his eyes, but not his head towards the monk. "I'm glad you're on our side, even if it's only temporary…I never thought this could happen…Anyway, how much confidence d'you have that you'll win?"  
  
"None." Piccolo said with quiet dignity. Kurilin looked over his shoulder wide eyed. Piccolo's smile was oddly gentle. "These two far outshine that brother of Son Goku's…" He looked down at Raimi, who made the subtlest of motions towards the ground.  
  
"Kurilin, let's finish this up on the ground. He seems to be too accustomed to aerial combat…" Piccolo suggested.  
"Gotcha!" Kurilin agreed.  
  
"Wherever you want. It'll be the same result!" Nappa bragged. The pair ignored him and dropped to the ground. With a yell, Nappa dove at them. Kurilin and Piccolo yelped in surprise at Nappa's speed.  
  
"Nappa! Wait a second" Vegeta's' voice rang across the field. Nappa had frozen the instant he heard his name.  
"What's wrong with you, Vegeta all I have to do is…." Nappa grumbled, peering over his shoulder and glaring at Vegeta resentfully.  
  
"I want to ask them something. Don't be in such a rush, that's all." Vegeta said casually, as he peered over at Gohan and Raimi. They looked very much like the Saiyans they were. He wondered if she was the boy's mother.  
  
"What did you want to know, Vegeta?" Nappa demanded. Raimi's right eyebrow went up in surprise at this near insolence. Nappa must really be worked up to risk Vegeta's displeasure.  
  
"This Son Goku you all keep mentioning is Kakarrot isn't he?" Vegeta asked.  
"Yeah. So what?" Kurilin answered. The Prince began to laugh.  
  
"Well, well, then he really did come back to life because of the Dragonballs, just as we heard…". He laughed harder. Raimi and Kurilin bristled in anger. Raimi clenched her teeth as she held her power down. "But, Kakarrot is your only hope?! What possible good will he be if he wasn't even a match for Raditz?" His voice was both puzzled and amused.  
  
"He should be different from before…No, he will be different!" Kurilin yelled, angry at this insult to his best friend. "More powerful than ever before!"  
"Take it from me, Goku is a bad one to underestimate." Piccolo warned. Vegeta noted the Nameks rueful face.  
  
"Ha! Then where is he? Maybe he's not coming back…because he's afraid!" Nappa jeered  
"He'll come!! Daddy will come back!! And he'll beat you bullies up you'll see!" Gohan yelled, his fear forgotten in his anger at the insult to his father.  
  
"Hmm…Such faith…" Vegeta said, eyeing the young boy. "Very touching. You…" He pointed at Raimi.  
"What do you think?" Raimi blinked at the question.  
  
"He's on his way." She said, and crossed her arms stubbornly. Vegeta nodded, convinced by their faith in this miracle.  
"All right then. We'll wait until he comes."  
  
"Come on Vegeta, give me a break, I'm in mid air here," Nappa complained. "Let's just finish them off now!"  
"We'll wait for three hours." Vegeta said, as Nappa growled like an angry dog. "We won't wait any longer than that." He finished smoothly.  
  
"THREE HOURS! What am I supposed to do for three hours? I've been holding off for too long already. I'm ready for action. To hell with waiting!!" Nappa roared, and dove at Piccolo and Kurilin again. The pair stared helplessly, knowing that they couldn't stop him. Raimi smiled. She knew that there was no way Vegeta would allow this insubordination.  
  
"NA-PPA! What do you think you are doing!?" Vegeta's voice cracked like a whip across the field. The giant froze and hung, shivering in terror at what he had done, and what Vegeta would do to him for it.  
"I-I'm sorry, I guess I got carried away…" he apologized, his voice quiet. He relaxed when Vegeta smiled and turned to Piccolo.  
  
"Well then. There you go. Three extra hours of life. Enjoy them." Vegeta said as if he was giving them a birthday present. They answered his "kindness" with silence.  



	35. XXXV

Raimi stood to the side as Piccolo and Gohan worked out Gohan's little goof-up. She set her scouters alarm for three hours, and pushed the sound button so she could eavesdrop on the Saiyans, who she remembered as having some interesting things to say. Then she sat casually on the grass, and relaxed, listening to both conversations.BR  
P  
"I'm sorry...but I got so scared..." Gohan said nervously.BR  
"Then leave! We have no use for a coward. I was a fool to expect so much, to expect anything at all of you." Piccolo grumped insincerely. He was angry, but not surprised, not really.BR  
P  
"You can't really blame him Piccolo. This is his first fight. It's scary enough as it is!" Kurilin said in Gohan's defense.BR  
P  
"Hmm. Well, I'm angrier with myself for counting in him. What a waste of time! You should just go home, Gohan!" Piccolo said. His eyes shifted to the boy, then to the Saiyans across the field. Gohan was struggling with fear and guilt, facing his mistake bravely. The defenders fell silent, waiting impatiently for Goku to arrive.BR  
P  
A while after this, Nappa sighed and turned to Vegeta with that dumb look of his. "Not again!" She whispered to Vegeta, making him smile despite himself. The Cabbage Headed Saiyan had already done this three times, and Vegeta had discovered her eavesdropping, but hadn't seemed to care. She had repeatedly made him laugh despite himself at Nappa's antics.BR  
P  
"I can't take it any more, Vegeta. Why are we doing this again?" Nappa asked. Vegeta sighed and opened his eyes lazily, focusing on the Earthlings as he spoke.BR  
P  
"Nappa, I've explained it three times, your head's too thick." Vegeta said. Nappa grinned, unapologetic for his lack of wits. After all, most Saiyans were as dumb as they looked. "Now listen. Kakarrot is a traitor to all Saiyans. A traitor deserves to see his friends and son die before him...Deserves to feel just how powerless he is, and how much agony true Saiyans can inflict...and after three or four hours, heh, he'll beg us to kill him. How does that sound? That is if he shows up in the allotted time..." Nappa laughed evilly in response. "Try to remember for more than ten minutes this time Nappa. You would do well to learn a little patience my friend." Vegeta chucked and looked up at the giant.BR  
P  
"You know, I've always been this way, I can't help it!" Nappa said earnestly. Vegeta sighed. He actually did know Nappa very well, since the man had raised him for the most part. Still, he wished Nappa were as smart as he himself was. Things would be easier if he was.BR  
P  
"Nappa, remind me to look into having you de-wormed again..." Vegeta said. Raimi bit her lip, trying not to laugh. She didn't want to piss them off after all. But she still giggled, and heard Vegeta begin to laugh. Nappa didn't notice.BR  
P  
"I don't have worms! I just want to annihilate somebody!" Nappa growled. "You can have Kakarrot, but the others are mine!"BR  
P  
"Do what ever you want, but remember, we still need to ask the Namek about the Dragonballs, got it? And, I want to take the girl with us, we can use her...strength." Raimi looked up, and saw Nappa staring at Piccolo, but Vegeta was looking at her. He had something in mind for her, that much was certain. She might as well be tied hand and foot, since she couldn't fight. Vegeta's veiled threat was much on her mind for the remainder of the three-hour reprieve.BR  
P  
At the two and a half-hour mark, Kurilin was nearly frantic with worry.BR  
"Damn...what's keeping him? Did Goku really even come back to life?" He looked up at Piccolo. " Why don't we just run away? Why just stand here and die?" Raimi shook her head, feeling for him, since Kurilin was the weakest one of them now; Tien had been stronger than Kurilin was. It couldn't look very good for him in his own mind.BR  
P  
"Fool...they're planning on annihilating all sentient life anyway...Do you prefer to die running or standing?" Piccolo sneered. He was probably as worried and frightened Kurilin, but he'd never show it.BR  
P  
"Man, please Goku...come quick, and be more powerful than them...please!" Kurilin growled.BR  
P  
"He is coming, but he won't be here till dusk...Hang on guys. He will be here, I promise..." Raimi said softly, but no one seemed to be listening to her. Kurilin just shook his head, and Piccolo ignored her. Gohan sighed and looked up at the clouds. A short time later, Vegeta and Raimi's Scouters chimed in unison, sounding an alarm that ending the reprieve.BR  
P  
"Time is up...It seems we've been stood up..." Vegeta said, removing his Scouter once more. "Three valuable hours...wasted. But of course the traitor would also be a coward." as Vegeta mused, Nappa was shedding his heavy armor so he would be unrestricted for the slaughter to come.BR  
P  
"Hey! My Daddy's not a coward...!" Gohan yelled.BR  
"Then where is he...why isn't he coming?" Kurilin hissed.BR  
P  
"Finally, its pain time...I'm just sorry Kakarrot isn't here to see it..." Nappa chuckled. He cracked his knuckles and loosened his shoulders as he slowly advanced across the field.BR  
P  
"So it's time to die, huh? Feels like I'm a Kamikaze...damn it..." Kurilin was digging deep for the courage Raimi knew he had inside, bracing for the fight.BR  
P  
"Without Goku, we have one last chance, although it's a long shot..." Piccolo said. Raimi looked up at his grim face. He had a plan all right.BR  
P  
"Listen carefully...Kurilin, I want you to draw his attention; don't get too close, just distract him for a few seconds while I go for his only weakness...his tail..."BR  
P  
"Oh yeah! That's right..." Kurilin's eyes widened at the memory of Goku getting wobbly and weak when his tail was grabbed as a child.BR  
P  
"Once I have him powerless, then Gohan will attack him full out...got it? Raimi stay back and jump in if we get overwhelmed. You are our secret weapon, understand?" Piccolo's eyes rested on her.BR  
P  
"Yes...I'll lay that big Baka out on his ass, don't worry..." She nodded.BR  
"This time I won't run away, I promise Mr. Piccolo..." Gohan said with surprising confidence.BR  
P  
"See that you don't! Consider Earth's fate to be in your hands..." Piccolo advised. "Be confident Gohan...If you put your mind to it, your power surpasses mine...as does hers..." Surprised, Gohan looked up at Raimi, but she was focused on Nappa, who was still coming closer, powering up as he came.BR  
P  
"Okay, we all know what to do...so do it. Now Kurilin!" Piccolo encouraged.BR  
"Okay! Here goes!" Kurilin shouted, and ran out to meet Nappa.BR  
"Eager for death, are you?" Nappa yelled.BR  
P  
"They must have a plan..." Raimi heard Vegeta say. His smile was condescending.BR  
"Draw his attention..." Piccolo hissed. Kurilin yelled, and then when he was almost in Nappa's face, raised his arms over his head and brought them down, using his Chi to blast himself into the air. Nappa of course followed his movement; his whole body arching up to see what Kurilin was up to...BR  
P  
"Now!" Piccolo shouted, and disappeared, only to reappear behind the giant Saiyan and grab his thick tail where it was hooked around his waist. Nappa peered back over his shoulder, looking angrier than Raimi had yet seen him. Saiyans took tail grabbing very seriously, and killed anyone who dared to try it. Most couldn't get close enough to do so, making Nappa's anger and amazement that much stronger that Piccolo had succeeded in getting his tail.BR  
P  
"Gohan!! Now Gohan!!" Piccolo called. Gohan was already in motion, powering up for the attack. Raimi held her breath...they might just pull it off...BR  
"We did it!!" Kurilin yelled.BR  
P  
"Fools!" Nappa roared, then slammed his elbow into Piccolos head hard. The Namek fought to stay conscious as Gohan screeched to a halt. Gohan and Kurilin stared in disbelief as the Saiyan smirked at the stunned Namek.BR  
P  
"It...can not...be...!" Piccolo gasped, then went limp, Nappa catching him by the collar.BR  
"Hey, don't die yet! We still have to ask you about those Dragonballs...Man, what an ugly mug...nice hair style though." He mocked.BR  
P  
"But...but how? Piccolo had his tail..." Kurilin called.BR  
"What fools do you take us for? Did you think we wouldn't protect against such a weakness?" Vegeta sneered. "I worked on that little problem when I was a boy, and Nappa did the same. Pathetic."BR  
P  
"Disappointing...not even the best on this planet can make it past the first blow." Nappa taunted, and tossed the Namek to Raimi, who caught him easily and let him down to the ground. "Well, if he's going to take a nap, I guess I have to play with one of his little friends...Heh heh heh heh...What about you, Girlie?"BR  
P  
"No, the kid first, Nappa..." Vegeta warned. Raimi frowned at this.BR  
"Try me if you want to, Cabbage Head..." She goaded, but Nappa knew better than to disobey Vegeta. He turned to Gohan, who was closer anyway.BR  
P  
"Come on!" Nappa laughed at the cowering boy. "You're Kakarrot's son. You've got Saiyan blood in you too. You can give me a real fight, can't ya?" Gohan stepped back away from the huge Saiyan, shivering. He seemed unable to move, looking up into Nappa's eyes. "Ha, what a father you've got...leaving his little boy to die...." With this scathing remark, he kicked Gohan up in the air, and then just as the boy came to shoulder level, backhanded him hard. Gohan flew twenty feet, slamming into a huge rock then falling to the ground.BR 


	36. XXXVI

"No, don't...!" Kurilin yelled too late as Nappa hit Gohan. Raimi felt her anger rising dangerously. She was close to losing her temper completely, and that would be very bad. Vegeta would wipe them all out before Goku made it here if she attacked Nappa; the Prince had made that abundantly clear.BR  
P  
"Hey, don't die yet! I want to play!" Nappa jeered at Gohan. The boy slowly pushed himself up to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood defiantly. He glared at Nappa, the light of Saiyan rage in his eyes. The fear was gone, replaced by serious fury. Nappa was too stupid to see it though, and kept goading him.BR  
P  
"There you go...Fight like a Saiyan, and die like one!!" He leapt at Gohan, ready to finish him off, when Kurilin suddenly appeared and kicked Nappa, stopping him in his tracks, then clobbered him with a left. Nappa was halfway across the field before Kurilin touched the ground and jumped after him. Nappa spun around, set one foot on the ground, and leapt back at Kurilin. Kurilin dodged aside, and flipped to a stop. Nappa stared, surprised at the small fighter.BR  
P  
"Wow, this little guy has some moves. Not bad..." Vegeta said, impressed. Nappa didn't share Vegeta's admiration, he was furious at this avoidance.BR  
"Stand still and fight!!" Nappa yelled, and ran towards Kurilin, who smiled grimly and raised his hand over his head, palm up.BR  
P  
"Okay then...Kienzan!" He called. A disk of Chi appeared in his hand, and then flattened, getting narrower. He held it for a second, then "pushed" it to Nappa. Raimi watched, amused as the dumb Saiyan got ready to catch the thing. What he didn't realize was that this Chi form was also known as the Destructo-Disk, and would slice him in half instantly if it hit him. She and Kurilin leaned forward hopefully.BR  
P  
"Nappa, don't touch it!!" Vegeta suddenly yelled, dashing their hopes. Nappa looked over his shoulder at Vegeta, then squinted at the disk, and barely moved his head aside in time. His cheek was laid open, blood dripping slowly down his face, as he froze in shock. He snapped out of it and roared in rage, his eyes focused on Kurilin, who braced himself for an attack he knew he couldn't avoid or block.BR  
P  
"Use your head, Bakana!" Vegeta grumbled.BR  
"You little bastard! You cut my face! I'm gonna enjoy this, you little..." Nappa snapped his wrist out, and tossed a ball of Chi at Kurilin, who barely leapt up out of the way in time. He hung mid-air, helpless, frying as the blast bathed him with its violent energy.BR  
P  
"No! Kurilin!" Raimi gasped, and began to run over to where he was. The Chi suddenly faded, and Kurilin began to fall, stunned. Raimi was counting on her memory of events, hoping nothing changed, or she was up to her ears in hot water.BR  
P  
"He's tough! One more blast!" Nappa laughed. He brought his hand forward, ready to finish Kurilin off, when suddenly he was blindsided by of all people, Piccolo. Raimi skidded to a stop and caught Kurilin, then spun about to keep Nappa and Vegeta in sight. Nappa was reaching behind him, his back stinging, while Piccolo slowly climbed to his feet. Raimi laid Kurilin down on his belly, and got ready for the action to heat up.BR  
P  
"It can't be...you're tougher than you look, Chibi Namek jin!" Nappa growled in anger.BR  
"Ha ha ha! Having trouble in there, Nappa?" Vegeta laughed out loud, delighted at his partners difficulty.BR  
P  
"The Earth doesn't go down quite that easily." Piccolo said proudly. He clenched his fist and bared his wicked teeth in defiant rage.BR  
P  
"You stupid freak, now you've made me mad! I was taking it easy on you because we need to find out about the Dragonballs, but now..." Nappa snapped furiously, but paused when he realized that the Demon King wasn't listening. None of the defenders were listening to him; they were all blank faced in shock. Vegeta looked at them in turn, and noted they all looked glazed eyed, like they were listening to something he couldn't hear.BR  
P  
"What is that!? A tremendous power approaching from afar!" Piccolo gasped out. He looked at Raimi, who had slowly begun to smile. She nodded as her eyes focused on him.BR  
P  
"I feel it too; it's huge, but it's familiar...Daddy! It's really him!"BR  
"This is getting old guys!" Nappa warned. Vegeta was analyzing this extraordinary event. They all claimed to "Feel" Kakarrot coming; Raimi's scouter hadn't even gone off to back her up.BR  
P  
"At last, it him! It's Son Goku! I should have known that fool would make us wait!!" Piccolo had never sounded so happy to see his worst enemy.BR  
"Daddy...Daddy's coming! Hurry, please hurry!" Gohan yelled, though Goku was too far away to hear.BR  
P  
"Kakarrot...Where...they must be foolin', I don't see anyone..." Nappa said his tiny brain baffled by all this.BR  
"Nappa, be quiet. They seem to be able to detect Chi without a scouter..." Vegeta said as he reached down for his own scouter. "Now, let's see..." He set it over his ear, and before he could touch it, it began to run an alarm. He rocked back in surprise.BR  
P  
"...Vegeta! Are they telling the truth?! I hope they are...Ha, ha, ha..." Nappa laughed, ignorant of the truth of the situation he was now in. Vegeta was stunned as he turned to Nappa. His face made Nappa pause, because Nappa had never seen Vegeta this nervous.BR  
P  
"I don't know if it's really Kakarrot...But he'll be here in under four minutes..." Vegeta said harshly. He stared at Raimi, getting angrier by the second. "...With a power level...of 5000!"BR  
P  
"...5000...That's impossible...it has to be a mistake!" Nappa howled. He was in shock at this news.BR  
"That's as may be. These fools seem able to vary their power meaning...5000 could just be for starters..." Vegeta said. Piccolo laughed at this.BR  
P  
"HA! I do believe that your partner is actually worried, Cabbage Boy!" Piccolo taunted. However, Vegeta was not worried, he was plotting.BR  
P  
"Nappa! Kill these two, now. Their help could actually make Kakarrot a challenge, but their corpses might just shake him up some!" Vegeta snapped. His voice brooked no argument. All of the others, even Nappa were stunned by the suddenness of the order.BR  
P  
"But the Dragonballs, how'll we find them without..." Nappa said.BR  
"Never mind that, we don't need them!" Vegeta laughed. "I never believed that old legend of the Power Spheres of Namek, but if Kakarrot is really back from the dead, then the legend is true...that means there must be more balls on the Lizardmans home planet. A little rampage through Namek might be refreshing after the destruction of Earth, don't you agree?"BR  
P  
Raimi laughed at this. "Good luck on that plan, boys! Goku is going to clean you clock!" She called. The three Saiyans smiled grimly at each other.BR  
P  
"I still say your Scouter is broken. Kakarrot cannot be any 5000; I tested him myself, you know, and he's strictly third class.... but it's a good enough excuse to start the slaughter." Nappa said. Gohan's eyes narrowed at Nappa's words. He was much smarter than anyone would believe a five year old could be. He immediately understood what was being said, and what was going unsaid as well. If Piccolo was killed, the Dragonballs here would become useless, and they couldn't wish anyone back. So, Piccolo must be protected at all costs. He made his surprising decision quickly.BR  
P  
"Piccolo, you have to get out of here! I'll hold them until my Daddy gets here, somehow. If you die, then Kami-sama will die too, and then the Dragonballs..." Gohan called with a strong, confident voice. Of course the proud Namek scoffed at this show of bravery.BR  
P  
"Feh, don't be ridiculous, boy. You can't hold them alone..." He said, then paused, and looked over at Raimi, the unknown and untried factor. Could he trust her to fight these guys? Deep in his black heart, he still believed that she was one of them, and could not be trusted.BR  
P  
"So...the little laddie is going to hold me, eh?" Nappa purred with death in his voice. "Don't make me laugh!" He sprang at the young boy; he was obviously ready to strike Gohan down like the lamb Nappa thought he was. However, that dangerous rage that Gohan had simmering inside him, true Saiyan rage, boiled over at the sight of the monster coming at him. He grimaced in fury, and leapt up to meet the giant halfway. Nappa couldn't react fast enough to avoid the tiny foot that packed a full sized, very powerful kick, delivered right to his jaw.BR  
P  
Piccolo had set out after the Saiyan, and was stunned when Nappa shot past him, so close his flying body almost took off Piccolo's head. Raimi laughed in pure delight as Kurilin gaped in disbelief. Vegeta turned his head casually to follow Nappa's flight as the Saiyan slammed into an outcropping of granite and reduced it to rubble on impact. Piccolo simply stared in astonishment at his pupil's power.BR  
P  
None of them were really surprised to see Nappa erupt from the rocks and land with an earth-shaking crash. He was very pissed by the look of it. His head and torso were cut and bleeding, and he was covered with dirt. He was quite a mess.BR  
P  
"Now then, you little bastard, I've had enough...". Nappa growled, his voice a bass rumble of fury. He was powering up even as he pulled back his left arm; a corona of light burst around his hand as he glared with homicidal delight at Gohan. He paused for just a few seconds; them hurled his arm forward, as if pitching a baseball. A blinding white light washed the area, making everything colorless. They could feel the beam Nappa was sending, but it was otherwise invisible. He was shouting his excitement at the apparent end of the pesky little Saiyan when...BR  
P  
Piccolo had been running at full speed, and suddenly stood in the way of the beam, shielding Gohan from certain death. Kurilin could not believe his eyes, but barely got a glimpse before Raimi grabbed him into her arms to shield him from the imminent explosion. They all heard Gohan's voice rise in protest, and then it hit.BR  
P  
Raimi squeezed Kurilin tightly as she watched the spectacle. Piccolo's eyes squeezed shut against the light, and he screamed a high ringing cry as the energy hit him, shooting past him; first shredding his clothes, then the flesh underneath. Purple blood began to pour from his mouth as his voice rose higher and higher. Finally the beam exploded, blocking off their view of the Namek and the tiny Saiyan.BR  
P  
Nappa chucked in self-satisfaction, until the dust cleared to reveal the pair. Gohan was lying on the ground, shaken by the blast, but unhurt, while Piccolo was still standing, but just barely. Nappa was speechless.BR 


	37. XXXVII

"Pih...Piccolo...". Gohan whispered. He could feel that his Sensei was barely alive after that beam.BR  
P  
"Gohan, run..." Piccolo wheezed before he fell on his face. Gohan stood and crept up to Piccolo, helping him to turn over.BR  
P  
"Why? Why did you save me?" He asked plaintively. "Now, you're hurt." Raimi set Kurilin down and swiped her eyes surreptitiously. She wasn't sure she could endure one more death, especially one that would hit poor Gohan so hard.BR  
P  
"I told you...to run...h...hurry...". Piccolo sighed. He was definitely fading, holding on by a thread. Gohan began to panic.  
"Don't die Piccolo! Daddy will come soon! P-Please don't die!" He cried, shaking the Nameks green shoulder.BR  
P  
Nappa shrugged. "Those idiots, making us kill them in the wrong order...Oh well, it all ends up the same...". He said.BR  
P  
Raimi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She grabbed her head and shivered. "Kami...". She murmured. Kurilin looked up at her, and realized that the god was dying as well. Raimi had grown close to him, and seemed to feel his passing. Now that he thought about it, he could feel a strange lessening within himself; the loss of something he hadn't even realized was there. He wondered if anyone else could feel it, or if they would even care...BR  
P  
"This is so shameful...Piccolo the Great, the incorruptible evil...saving a child, the son of my greatest enemy. How pathetic. It's because of you, and your father...your softness infecting me...but you know what? You were the only person who ever...ever really talked to me...". Piccolo said softly, barely able to breathe with his scorched lungs. "The couple of months I spent with you...weren't all that bad." He chucked as tears of pain trickled down his face. "Gohan...don't...die...". He closed his eyes, and was gone.BR  
P  
"Kami-Sama! Noooooo!" Raimi howled, making Nappa and Kurilin jump. She leapt to her feet, arms outstretched as she screamed. Gohans' voice blended with hers as he stood and powered up, his power level skyrocketing in his pain and anger.BR  
P  
"Nooo!" He yelled, hands over his head as he readied an attack for Nappa. Vegeta's scouter beeped at him and he was amazed at the numbers he saw. He growled in rage at the boys' power.BR  
P  
"Power 2800, and rising. As I thought! Their powers fluctuate tremendously!" Vegeta snarled. He was very annoyed at this trait that he saw as an ability he didn't share. Nappa couldn't care less.BR  
P  
"2800, eh?" He said, and braced himself for the attack.BR  
"Maaah...Sen...Kooo!" Gohan called, and let out a brilliant golden beam with incredible power behind it. It raced at Nappa, who made no move to get away, but instead swung at it, and batted it away like a ball. It soared back towards Gohan, over his head, and hit one of the surrounding mesas, which promptly disappeared in a massive explosion. Gohan was stunned. Nappa shook his hand, and then rubbed his wrist gingerly.BR  
P  
"I gotta say that wasn't too bad, for a shrimp especially." He said admiringly. "I'll admit, that actually stung a little bit..." He looked over at Vegeta, who made a subtle nod; their own private thumbs down signal.BR  
P  
"His power dropped all the way down. He must have used it all up just for that beam. He sure is a Saiyan at that, isn't he?" Vegeta said, still wondering if the girl was Kakarrot's' mate; the kid seemed to be too strong to be a half-breed.BR  
P  
Gohan sighed sadly, shoulders sagging with weariness. "I'm sorry Piccolo...I couldn't beat them for you...I can't even run away now, I'm too tired...". He dropped to his knees, head hanging as Nappa advanced on him.BR  
P  
"Raimi, please, don't...". Kurilin said, and then realized she wasn't there. He looked for her feeling alone and panicked, but he didn't see her. He turned back to see Nappa standing over the exhausted Gohan, with that murderous grin of his pasted all over his ugly face. "No! Damn it, no!" He wept, unable to help, or even move. Where was Raimi? She couldn't have left them to die, could she?BR  
P  
Gohan waited bravely for his death, not sorry, not even sad. He closed his eyes, and heard Nappa laugh.BR  
"Hahahah, I can't wait to see Kakarrot's face when he gets here and sees his brat crushed to a pulp!" He raised his booted foot high in the air...and stomped down.BR  
P  
On nothing.BR  
P  
He looked at where the kid had just been. There was only his foot, which was two inches deep in the dry earth. He heard a small sound and looked to his right. There, floating on a golden puff was the kid, held safely in Raimi's arms. She was on her knees, with Gohan pulled tight against her chest, also on his knees. They both opened their eyes and looked at each other with small relieved smiles.BR  
P  
Raimi had run around behind Vegeta (Very scary, doing that) and waited for the moment to swoop in and save Gohan; as she ran in to grab him, she was the one who had been grabbed. She had felt Goku snatch her by her waist as her arms went around Gohan, and he dumped her onto Kinto'un, before disappearing again. Now they looked over at the amazed giant, who was trying to figure out what had just happened.BR  
P  
"What the hell is that?" Nappa said lamely. Vegeta looked at them, and then looked up, listening to a little inner voice. Sure enough, someone was up there. His breath hissed between his teeth in surprise. The new warrior quickly dropped down to the ground and ignoring Nappa, stared at Vegeta, as if he could tell the smaller man was the one to watch. The others looked on him with hope and relief.BR  
P  
"Goku! It's really you!" Kurilin said, weeping with happiness. Gohan sighed, and rested against Raimi, finally feeling safe.  
"Well, finally." Vegeta said.BR  
P  
"Goku, we waited so long..." Kurilin called. Raimi frowned slightly. Goku felt different all right, very strong, and very pissed off. She could smell it on him, the scent only a royally angry Saiyan could give off, and only other Saiyans could smell it. Surely, Nappa and Vegeta could smell it, but would they care?BR  
P  
"Daddy!" Gohan said, and Goku's eyes flicked to his son, softening for only a second, before he again let his gaze bore into Vegeta.BR  
P  
"What do you think you're doing here, Kakarrot? You're not going to make some ridiculous speech about "Defeating Us," I hope? Those speeches bore me to tears..."Vegeta smirked. Goku's eyes slid away from the Prince as if he wasn't worth listening to anymore, and he began to walk forward, heading for Piccolo's corpse. Raimi knew that Piccolo was dead, and that Goku could tell too, but he still bent down and checked for a pulse.BR  
P  
"Piccolo..." he murmured, sounding puzzled.BR  
"He died trying to save me..." Gohan told him. Goku stood and looking across the field, saw two more bodies.BR  
P  
"Tenshinhan...Yamcha..." He ground his teeth together angrily, blaming himself for not getting there sooner. Nappa snorted his distain of the dead on the field.BR  
P  
"Don't tell me you're shocked to find your lame friends are dead! Come to think of it, there was another one; he's blown to bits. Well, no need to grieve, 'cause you'll be seeing them all soon! And right after you got yourself resurrected too." The Saiyan laughed, relishing Goku's pain. Goku was now snarling quietly.BR  
P  
"So, Chauzu is gone too, and Kami-Sama." He said. Vegeta was watching as his power level rose steadily. He walked forward again, closing on Nappa. The giant grinned.BR  
P  
"What is it, huh? Ready to die already? Well, here's my way of saying hello!!" Nappa yelled, swinging at the smaller man. His fist didn't make contact though, as Goku simply disappeared and reappeared twenty feet away, and commanded Kinto'un to follow him to where Kurilin was laying. The two Saiyans were slightly confused, Nappa because he didn't realize what had just happened, and Vegeta because he couldn't understand how this third-class weakling had gotten so strong.BR 


	38. XXXVIII

"Hey, sorry I'm late, you guys did so well, holding out like this. Here, split this between you..." Goku said as he held out one of the magical Senzu beans. Kurilin's eyes widened at the sight of it.BR  
"Wow, a Senzu! Master Karin still had them...?"BR  
P  
"Yep it's the last one." They began to gently argue about saving it for Goku to use later, or if Kurilin and Gohan should eat it now. Goku finally threatened to throw it away, so they had to take it. By now Raimi was sitting with Gohan in her lap, legs dangling off Kinto'un's side, tail waving gently behind her. She smiled at the two men as they worked out the bean situation, and released the boy when he ate his part. Gohan jumped down and grinned at his dad. Raimi got down too, and the cloud raced away.BR  
P  
"You've improved a lot, Kurilin, I can feel it." Goku said proudly, but Kurilin wouldn't be comforted.BR  
"I thought I had, I tried, but they were too strong...I let the others die..."BR  
P  
"And Gohan, you've changed so much! You've trained hard!" Goku noted, amazed that the muscular boy before him was his little, chubby cute son. He was actually very pleased, since he had always wanted to train Gohan to fight anyway, but IKi/I-IKi/I refused to allow it.BR  
P  
"Piccolo was the one who taught me, but...I couldn't stop them either." Raimi rested a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Goku peered at her, and nodded.BR  
"Raimi, I can't believe it, you...what happened to you? This much improvement, you would need years to get that strong..." He scowled a little at her.BR  
P  
"Yeah, well, Kami set me up for special training, and also, I have a special talent, something all Saiyans have, but my talent is unique even for us. I'll tell you later, but I will say, it's got something to do with our power levels." She tried the simple telepathy that Saiyans could use only with their own kind, and told him about Vegeta's threats to the others if she fought Nappa. Goku blinked, but showed no other sign that he heard her.BR  
P  
"You know," Kurilin said "with Piccolo dead, we can't use the Dragonballs anymore, so no one can be brought back. Damn these ass..."BR  
"Kurilin, watch your tongue! There is a way..." Raimi soothed. Kurilin growled angrily.BR  
P  
"Let's avenge them, the four of us! With you two here, we can take out at least one of them, heck we just might win outright!" He turned to Goku. "You trained under Kaio-sama, right? The lord of the worlds?"BR  
"Yeah. But, I'll fight them alone. You guys stay clear so you don't get hurt." Goku told them. Raimi smirked, as the others stared in disbelief.BR  
P  
"Alone?! That's insane! Even for you! Their power is beyond imagination!" Kurilin shouted, desperate to get through Goku's stubborn skull. Gohan was nodding.BR  
P  
"He's right Daddy!" The boy said, worried. Raimi just smiled a wicked smile. She knew Goku was hiding his power, even from Kurilin and Gohan, but he had no secrets from her. His power was nearly twice Nappa's, and he could easily beat the giant, if he wanted to. The only problem was Goku's morals and ethics. He hated to kill, and would not do it if he didn't have to. This wouldn't work on the Saiyans, as they had no morals, no sense of decency. However, now was not the time as Goku was the angriest he'd ever been. He powered up some, and Kurilin finally got a glimpse of Goku's hidden strength. He gasped, shivering with fear; Saiyans did that to people, it was instinctive on the part of the non-Saiyan. Kurilin turned and looked hard at Gohan.BR  
P  
"We had better do as he says. We will leave it to him." He told the boy. Gohan shook his head in negation.BR  
"But..." Raimi and Kurilin held him back as Goku turn and strode away. "Daddy!"BR  
"Hurry, Goku!" Kurilin called. He looked up at Raimi grimly. "I've never seen Goku so angry...I don't think there is room for us in this battle, is there?" He said. She shrugged as they struggled with a squirming Gohan.BR  
P  
"Even he might need help with the Prince, but we'll just have to wait and see." Kurilin didn't remember who the Prince was, but if Goku could even beat Nappa, he'd feel better.BR  
Goku in the meantime was advancing on the other Saiyans, who looked surprised by his calm yet angry demeanor.BR  
P  
"What's this look on your face? I don't think I like it, 'cause I was hoping you wouldn't want to die so quickly!" Nappa jeered, laughing menacingly. Vegeta stood quietly, assessing the situation, trying to make sense of this.BR  
P  
"There will be no mercy for you...you bastards!" Goku swore. He spread his feet apart, tightened his muscles and powered up, letting then see some of what they were going to get. The ground shook, and then began to pull itself apart, rocks hurtling into the air. Nappa actually stepped back, startled. Vegeta stared into his scouter, face pale as he read the figures.BR  
P  
"7000...8000...and rising..." The others couldn't hear him over the rumbling; Kurilin and Gohan were clinging to the granite outcropping behind them, and Raimi stood braced into the waves of power coming from Goku's body. Suddenly he yelled, and stopped powering up, leaving his power at this new higher level. The rocks hung midair for a few seconds, and then fell with much clattering and thudding. Goku waited patiently as the Saiyans stared back at him.BR  
P  
"V-Vegeta...what was Kakarrot's power again?!" Nappa gasped. Vegeta slowly reached up to his scouter and then pulled it off violently. He growled as he crushed it effortlessly.BR  
P  
" It's over...9000..." Vegeta hissed, furious.BR  
P  
"Over...9000..." Vegeta hissed, furious. He was glaring at Goku, not able to believe it. Nappa's head snapped around to look at the Prince.BR  
"9000...?! It's a mistake! It's broken!" He yelped.BR  
P  
"Uh, fellows', mine says the same!" Raimi chirped cheerfully. "That is if you really need confirmation!" She waved, smiling sweetly. Vegeta's head swung to her, and his gaze was deadly. She held her smile, shrugging. "Just wanted to help ol' Cabbage Head there. He doesn't seem to be too bright." Goku's lips twitched slightly at her teasing of the giant Saiyan. He dropped back into seriousness.BR  
P  
"Don't worry. I won't use the Kaio-ken on you...yet" Goku said smoothly.BR  
"Kaio-ken?!" Vegeta said; he'd never heard of it.BR  
P  
"Fist of the Worlds, eh? Cool, I can't wait." Raimi said, getting excited at the prospect of the combat between Nappa and Goku being good. Nappa apparently didn't think so, because he launched himself at the smaller man.BR  
P  
"You'll never be a match for me!!" Nappa yelled as he flew. Goku let him get within bare inches from his face, and then moved too fast for Nappa to see. He reappeared behind the flying giant, and kicked the back of Nappa's head. The Saiyan was hurtled forward and down, smacking face first into the ground hard. Vegeta was more surprised than Nappa was. Gohan and Kurilin stared in shock. Raimi smiled serenely.BR  
P  
"Unh...how'd you get behind me...?!" Nappa grunted. He slowly regained his feet. "I'll destroy you!" He growled. However, Goku was not impressed.  
"You talk a lot. But you don't back it up." Nappa's eyes widened at this.BR  
"What...what did you say?!" He said teeth clenched.BR  
P  
Kurilin and Gohan were still amazed, and worried about Goku was goading Nappa like this. Raimi didn't bother to comfort them. They would see for themselves how able Goku was to take care of himself. Vegeta on the other hand was still trying to take this in. The younger man's power was very different from when Raditz had come here one year ago, and he was trying to figure out why.BR  
P  
Nappa, in the meantime, was getting madder by the second. Goku was too calm, didn't appear to be worried about the bigger Saiyan at all. Nappa was used to having his opponents be scared of him, or at least intimidated by his size. After all, it wasn't every day one had to face up to a nine-foot tall man with a tail. Now this low class tailless freak was telling him he was all hot air.BR  
P  
"So, you're saying I am just talk...?" He asked incredulous. Goku didn't nod, but he smiled just a little.BR  
"I could tell by that swing."BR  
P  
"Ohhh, you could, could you? So, what can you tell from this?" He said, as he powered up, a white aura appearing around him, with flames dancing off into the heavy air. He yelled and launched an attack. He hammered blows at Goku, but to his surprise, not one hit the mark. Goku dodged, moving just enough to not get hit, but not going so fast that he couldn't be seen. Nappa went faster and faster, finally sending a massive swing at Goku. But he was left standing alone, fist out, with Goku nowhere in sight. He looked back and forth, and then Goku called from his right. They stared at each other silently.BR  
P  
"Did you see that?" Kurilin asked. Gohan shook his head; baffled by the way his father was acting. Raimi had seen it, but stood silent. Vegeta was finally accepting that the newcomer was really as powerful as the scouter said.BR  
P  
Just then Goku moved, started running at Nappa. Nappa gathered himself, anticipating a blow, but once more Goku disappeared, only to show up, standing on Nappa's huge head. The picture should have been funny, but wasn't. Nappa quivered with rage, then slammed his hands together over his head, trying to catch Goku. He met empty air, and then Goku was before him, and buried his fist up to mid forearm in Nappa's abdomen . They stood like that for a moment, then Goku pulled back, and Nappa bent in half, arms cradling his belly.BR  
P  
"That was for Chauzu." Goku said, his voice calm, not betraying his pain. Nappa suddenly, with no warning leapt up and kicked at Goku, who simply ducked them came up with a stellar punch, square on Nappa's jaw. "That was for Yamcha!" Goku called after the flying giant. Nappa raced at a pile of rock, but caught himself and leapt up and hung in the air. His eyes were red with his fury.BR  
P  
"You...bastard!" He said, voice low, but horrible. He sent out a bolt of fire straight at Goku. Goku grinned at this.BR  
P  
"This one I won't dodge!" He yelled into the wind caused by the huge energy coming at him. He braced himself, and let out a huge Kiai; the bolt stopped and blew up six feet away from Goku, who remained unharmed. The dust cleared, and he was revealed, smiling. Nappa winced, not understanding.BR  
"What the...how did he do that? I don't get it!"BR  
P  
"He blew it away with only his IKi/I!" Vegeta whispered. Raimi had to admit, she hadn't seen such an example of a Kiai dissipating that much IKi/I before. She was as impressed as the others were. Just then Goku took off, straight up at Nappa. He was above the Saiyan in the blink of an eye, and swung his doubled fists down into Nappa's thick skull, shouting "This one's for Tenshinhan!"BR  
P  
Nappa raced towards the ground like he's been shot out of a cannon. Goku took off after him, landed for a split second, and pushed off towards him again. As he closed distance, he swung around feet first.BR  
P  
"And this...is for Piccolo!!" Goku howled, finally showing just how angry he really was at the loss of his friends, his Sensei, and the former enemy who had saved his son's life. He kick Nappa again, and the Saiyan flew into a small mountain. The impact demolished the whole thing, and it collapsed onto him, burying him under twenty or more feet of rubble. Goku actually was spun backwards by the impact of the kick, and landed heavily, standing straight and waiting for Nappa to free himself. Sure enough, there was a roaring rumble, and the warrior shot out of the pile, screaming his rage all the way as he dropped to the ground twenty feet from Goku. And man, was he pissed!BR  
P  
"Damn you! DAMN YOU!!" Nappa yelled so loud that everyone winced in pain. He was looking very battered by now. Blood seeped from numerous cut and scrapes all over his body, and he had bruises showing darkly against his olive skin.   
"Well. You're as tough as I expected." Goku said with grudging admiration.BR  
"I am an Elite Warrior of the nobility! I'll have no lower-class punk like you push me around!" Nappa roared. The others were staring, amazed at this turn of events.BR 


	39. XXXVIIII

"Wow! Goku's unbelievable!! He might just win this!!" Kurilin said, finally believing it himself.BR  
"Go Daddy!" Gohan called. They were feeling the first flush of triumph, but Raimi, while delighted as well, restrained herself. She knew that with these three, it wasn't over till it was over.BR  
P  
"NA-PPA! Get a hold of yourself. You can't fight if you're enraged! Keep your head!! Calm DOWN!!" Vegeta called. He wasn't just handing out advice, but giving a direct command. Nappa paused, and made a visible effort to obey. He took a few deep breaths, and slowly calmed down. He smiled, but didn't really relax. He wiped the blood and sweat from his face.BR  
P  
"You're right! Thanks Vegeta...I wasn't thinking." He apologized. Goku didn't bat an eye. Vegeta glowered, and Raimi could nearly read his mind. He was realizing that he might just have to fight personally, and was furious about it. He loved to fight, but also conserved his energy as much as possible. For now though, he watched as the now calm Nappa and Goku faced each other.BR  
P  
"You tricked me into a fit of rage, but now you'll see what I can really do. Are you ready...Kakarrot?" Nappa asked.BR  
P  
"Ah. That's it. This is what I wanted." Goku nodded; glad to see that Nappa really was ready for some serious action. Nappa laughed, thinking he was bluffing. Raimi knew better. Goku had power to spare, and plenty of confidence. She and Goku could feel that Nappa was close to his maximum power, and that he was still short of Goku's own strength. Of course, Nappa and Vegeta couldn't feel IKi/I, so they had no idea what they were truly dealing with. Yet.BR  
P  
Nappa was now pushing his power level up, gathering all his strength for a big strike. Nappa grinned; Goku's eyes widened, and BOOM!! The ground under Goku's feet exploded as Nappa used the Bakuhatsuha technique. At the count of four, Goku flew out of the blast, heading away. Nappa laughed at the younger man's flight.BR  
P  
"Oh no you don't! You're mine!!!" He yelled, and took off after, moving very quickly. He caught up and attacked again, and this time, he forced Goku to actually stave him off. Their fists met with a crash, and they traded blows at lightning speed. As quick as the spar started, it stopped. Both combatants panted lightly.BR  
P  
"Oh yeah...that was much better!" Goku laughed, far more impressed with Nappa now. Nappa blinked. BR  
P  
"Heh...better eh? Well...I'll make sure that's the last wisecrack you ever make! I've had it with you, Kakarrot..." Nappa snapped. He dropped his jaw, actually almost unhinged it like a snake, and strained with some sort of effort. Goku looked perplexed. Then Nappa sort of exhaled a huge blast of IKi/I that glowed bright white. It raced at a stunned Goku, who barely reacted in time. He powered up a Kamehameha, only calling the "ha", and the two blasts met, canceling out. After a few seconds, they exploded, forcing everyone to block or defend against the blast, even Vegeta.BR  
P  
"This is unbelievable...the deflect it at that distance..." Vegeta growled as the dust cleared, and everyone looked around to assess the damage. Other than being dusty, everyone was fine...including Nappa and Goku. Raimi sniffed with distain.BR  
P  
"Mouth blast...how clumsy! No grace or skill in such a technique, King Vegeta would never have allowed it from Togarashi," She grumped as she dusted off her armor. She looked up at the combatants.BR  
P  
"Phew, that one made me sweat!" Goku said. Nappa was actually speechless for a moment.BR  
"It...it can't be! Th...that was my...my ultimate technique...and he, he just bounced it off!" Nappa said sounding worried. He did not intend to give up, but still...BR  
P  
"He really is tough...he took my 'ha head on. Damn, this might take forever." Goku sighed. He did not intend to give up either. However, Vegeta had had enough. He strode forward a couple of steps, getting everyone's attention.BR  
P  
"That's enough! Get down here, Nappa! It'll take forever with you! I'll finish him myself!" Vegeta said, his voice quiet, yet carrying to everyone clearly. Nappa glared down at the Prince, who narrowed his eyes at his partner dangerously.BR  
P  
"Ridiculous...having to trouble myself against something like Kakarrot..." He sighed angrily. Raimi felt a shiver of anticipation at his words. She knew pretty much what was going to happen in the next few minutes, and she was wishing she could jump in and get her hands on Nappa...even though Vegeta had already warned her about that. Kurilin on the other hand was pale with fear.BR  
P  
"Yeah, finally, we get to see that big jerk afraid..." He said with some worry. Nappa had already shown fear for Vegeta, implying that the smaller Saiyan was even more powerful than Nappa was. And now Goku would have to face him? Not good...BR  
P  
"Curse you...curse you to hell boy, for making me surrender your execution to Vegeta..." Nappa said, frustrated. "Ah well, you'll be damned sorry it ever happened...There's a good reason why he's named after the planet Vejita itself you know..." He began to laugh as he slowly descended. "I'll leave you to him because he ordered me to...but I won't be satisfied leaving things as they are..." He declared. He turned his eyes and attention to Gohan and Kurilin, and began to dive, straight at them. Goku gasped in shock and raced after him. Nappa once again opened his jaw, readying his "ultimate technique" again, as Goku tried to catch up. Then, Raimi stepped forward, placed the heel of her hands together Kamehameha style, and yelled "Inazuma Shototsu!" Her hands glowed blue violet, and she grinned like a wolf, ready for Nappa's worst. She was straining to push her whole power into the attack, when Nappa suddenly yelled, and paused in his dive. Goku pulled up as well, confused.BR  
P  
"Inazuma Shototsu...It can't be! You're HER, King Vegeta's Seito...You're that little Bitch, aren't you?" He growled, his voice getting louder and louder. Raimi gave him her imps smile, and nodded. Of course he'd remember that attack, and her violet IKi/I. The only thing his brain was good for was combat, and he never forgot an attack.BR  
P  
"Molest any girls lately, Nappa? I understand you like blondes..." He screamed in reply, eyes wide. Everyone was frozen, baffled by the behavior of both Saiyans, but especially Nappa's apparent terror of tiny Raimi...BR  
P  
"You can't be her! You can't be..." He said, and seemed to regain his composure. He shook his head, and then leaped at her once more. "Forget it! Your mine!" He shouted as he came at her and the guys once more.BR  
P  
"Says who?" Raimi shouted back, nearly ready to let her attack go. But Goku took the initiative instead.BR  
P  
"IKAIO-KEN/I!" He shouted and then...suddenly...he stood before them, the massive Nappa held up on one hand, back painfully arched, tail limp and hanging. Goku stared grimly at Vegeta as he supported the massive Saiyan easily. . Nappa's back was broken, and he probably had internal injuries too. Raimi growled in frustration, powering down.BR  
P  
"Shimatta! Goku, I had him! You should not have shown Vegeta the Kaio-ken yet!" She whispered. Goku ignored her, and tossed Nappa fifty feet, to land in front of Vegeta. The Prince refused to look at Nappa as the giant whimpered in pain and confusion.BR  
  
P  
"He won't be fighting anymore...take him home...and stay there!" Goku said evenly. Raimi, Gohan, and Kurilin gave a collective "Ooooooo" of worry and anticipation. None of them believed for a second that Vegeta was going anywhere. Still, he looked shocked, to say the least.BR 


	40. XXXX

"Vegeta...I-it hurts, Vegeta..." Nappa gasped. Vegeta was steaming mad, glaring at Goku with murder in his eyes. Raimi couldn't hear him, but could just guess what he was thinking, because they were all thinking it. How had Goku multiplied his power like that?BR  
P  
Kurilin broke the heavy silence by asking Goku what had just happened to Nappa. "Was that something you were taught by the Lord of the Worlds?" Goku smiled and nodded.BR  
P  
"Yeah, it's called Kaio-ken. You control the entire IKi/I in your body, and then amplify it for a heartbeat. If you get it right, your power and speed and everythin' suddenly just go zoom!" He explained. Kurilin and Gohan's eyes bulged out.BR  
P  
"Amazing! You mean...you mean you're even stronger than yourself...?" Kurilin asked, trying to grasp this possibility. Raimi chuckled and shook her head. Kurilin laughed. "What're you messing around for, then? If you had that up your sleeve, you should a just let it out, and tore them up off the bat!" Raimi and Goku exchanged looks. She raised an eyebrow in question, and he nodded.BR  
P  
"See Kurilin, it isn't quite that easy. See if Goku doesn't control his IKi/I perfectly while he goes into overdrive, well he can kill himself..." The stunned pair looked between Raimi and Goku, who smiled wryly as he eyed the fuming Vegeta.BR  
P  
"See, Kaio-sama said that I have come farther with the Kaio-ken than even he was able to get. But I have to be careful at my present level of skill. Even the smallest slip in control and I might destroy myself. He said to increase it no more than twice my normal power; any more, and the strain on my body could prove too great. It couldn't contain the rush of power, and my own IKi/I would explode...that's when I told him to shut up 'cause I got it...and there we are!" He finished cheerfully, not seeming to care about the danger his own attack was going to place him in.BR  
P  
Raimi shook her head again, laughing at the irony of it. Only someone as simple as Goku could possibly use this kind of technique. Anyone else would forget themselves and blow up. She certainly didn't care to try it. Just then she heard a hiss of pain from Nappa as he tried to raise his hand to Vegeta. She clenched her teeth, trying to remember that the pain Nappa was suffering was only a small fraction of the pain he had delivered in his surprisingly long life. She refused to feel sorry for the beast.BR  
P  
"Vegeta...help me, please..." Nappa begged of his Prince, the man he had raised since he was a child. Nappa had never shown his affection to Vegeta, because he thought Vegeta had no such feelings to return. But he did care for the Prince, and was hoping that at last Vegeta would show him something, anything...Vegeta stared at Nappa's hand, and then took it gently. Nappa was overwhelmed. "Thank...you, Vegeta," he said smiling with all the warmth he had hidden all these years.BR  
P  
"No problem..." Vegeta smiled too...a cold, wicked smile. Nappa's smile started to fade; he knew this look, but he'd never had it turned upon him before.BR  
P  
"What good are you, if you cannot fight?!" Vegeta said. He tightened his grip on Nappa's hand, and without any visible effort, hurled the giant around and up into the air. He laughed and powered up hard. Goku and the others cowered in the shock wave of Vegeta's power. Raimi dug her toes into the earth, getting ready to shield herself from the attack Vegeta was readying. Nappa was howling, not believing what was happening.BR  
P  
"What good are you? INone at all!/I" Vegeta's voice rose over the roar of the rising wind. He stepped forward and sent out a HUGE white beam. It raced at the helpless Saiyan, who cursed in Saiya-go as he disintegrated. There was a massive explosion, and dust flew, hiding Raimi and Vegeta form the others view.BR  
P  
Raimi dropped her arms, her skin tingling from his power, and looked at Vegeta's back. He stood unmoving, but not unmoved. She strode forward, wanting to ask him something. Raimi saw his shoulders droop slightly as she came up to him, and heard him sigh as if in sadness.BR  
P  
"So, even you feel remorse, eh?" Raimi said quietly. She was also feeling sad despite herself, and was surprised when he replied without a smart-ass remark.BR  
P  
"He was a total Baka, but he did raise me, after we...after the planet was destroyed, and he would have thanked me if he'd thought about it. He would never be able to fight again. He would've rather died than be a cripple, I know, I knew him." He murmured. His back straightened again. He turned to face her.BR  
P  
"Now why did you do this?" he asked. She stood straighter.BR  
"I just wanted to say, I really did earn this armor. And I was the woman Nappa thought I was." She said. He didn't bother to ask her how Nappa and she could possibly know each other. Instead, his eyes swept up and down over her. She shivered, feeling naked under that gaze.BR  
P  
He turned to look up at Goku and the guys. They were arguing quietly about Dragonballs, and getting Gohan and Kurilin back to the Kamehouse. She nodded to Goku as he looked at her, trying to get her to come up to him, but didn't move to do so. She almost jumped out of her skin when Vegeta shouted up at Goku.BR  
P  
"What's keeping you boy? Feeling a little scared, Kakarrot?" He laughed. She grimaced at his bravado. His pride was unbelievable! Goku suddenly dropped down and stared intently at Raimi.BR  
P  
"You should go now, Raimi..." Before she could reply, the Prince butted in.BR  
"No, she stays. I'll follow her and destroy everything in sight if she leaves, got that?" Vegeta said. Raimi stared at him, eyes wide, while Goku seemed perplexed.BR  
P  
"Oh, you have this all planned out, do you?" She snapped, but backed down when Goku raised his hand in a peace gesture.BR  
"Fine, she stays, we go. We are gonna go fight somewhere else. She can come or not." Goku said. Raimi suddenly jumped up to where Kurilin and Gohan hung in the air, watching with sad eyes.BR  
P  
"Listen, keep an eye out for a bad moon on the rise...be prepared to return, and I mean return quickly, got that? We might need help. Wish us luck!" She said quickly, and then with a wink, dropped back down to the combatants. They took off immediately for the badlands of Piccolo's island.BR  
P  
As they flew, Goku in the lead, Raimi trailing, signs of life dwindled, and finally disappeared. The landscape was bleak, with tall towers of rock and small flat plains in between. Goku nodded once and set down on one of the towers, while Vegeta choose one that was taller, so he could look down upon his opponent. The Prince smiled.BR  
P  
"You should be honored, a low-class boy like yourself hardly ever gets a chance to try himself against an Elite warrior like myself." He looked up at Raimi who stood above both of them. "Did you explain the ranking system to him?" He asked her. She sighed.BR  
P  
"He just got resurrected, remember? I've barely said boo to him!" Raimi called. Vegeta nodded and looked back to Goku's patient gaze.BR  
P  
"We Saiyans are tested for combat power soon after we're born. The pathetic babies with low figures are shipped off to a planet with no serious opponents...Just like yourself..." Vegeta jeered, but Goku was not upset to hear that a race of killers had not found him to be nasty enough for them.BR  
P  
"I don't care about your opinion of me, and how weak your system says I am. I'm glad I grew up here. On Earth, anyone can become the best, if he works hard enough, and wants it real bad..." Goku said thoughtfully. Vegeta laughed at Goku's proud words.BR  
P  
"Ha! At least you learned some humor here. Now I'll show you the wall that you cannot breach, no matter how hard you hard work..." he dropped into a ready stance, and Goku did the same. The stood for a moment, then leapt into it. They traded a flurry of blows, none of which landed on either man. Then Goku swung a kick at Vegeta, who jumped backwards and kept going for a hundred yards. Goku took off after. Vegeta stopped his backwards movement and came at Goku, landing a nice punch to his jaw. Goku arched backwards, set one foot on the rocks behind him and leapt up above the scene. Once there he was baffled to find Vegeta gone. He looked back and forth, and then ducked as the Prince appeared behind him and tried to swipe his neck. As he ducked, Goku spun to the right with a roundhouse kick that Vegeta barely avoided then countered with his own kick. Goku leaned back so the kick missed, then they went into more blows, flying upwards.BR  
P  
"What's wrong, Kakarrot? Where is all your power?" Vegeta taunted. He drove his foot into Goku's belly with enough force to stop a freight train. "This is not how you defeated Nappa! Come on, show me, try it with me!" He moved up above Goku, them slammed his doubled fists into the top of the younger man's head. Goku plummeted to the ground, but caught himself, landing at his original spot. Vegeta did the same, and they stood again, resizing each other.BR  
P  
Raimi grimly smiled. "So, has Goku realized that Vegeta is stronger than he is? Vegeta is just playing around right now, Goku better step it up..." She sighed; she knew what was going to happen, but still, she felt that some thing was different. Maybe she should jump in...no, she had promised Kami-sama that she would do as little as possible. Sure enough, Goku smiled.BR  
P  
"Okay, then! I'll show you!" He said. He spread his feet, and powered up then switched to his Kaio-ken form. Vegeta showed obvious surprise at this, as Goku's body shimmered, then his IKi/I erupted as a reddish fire around him. Goku grinned wickedly.BR  
P  
"Kaio-ken! Hai-yah!" Goku called, his voice ringing with power, rather like when he powered up a Kamehameha. He reached out with his hand, and the rocks Vegeta stood upon disintegrated; he leapt up, and found himself with Goku in his face in the blink of an eye. Before he could react, Goku punched him twice, then landed a kick on him as well. As Vegeta soared away, and Goku followed; but Vegeta recovered very quickly, quicker than Goku had expected. He disappeared, then reappeared in Goku's face, and kicked him square in the jaw. He knocked Goku for a loop, and then they stopped, hanging in midair once more. Vegeta smirked, unimpressed.BR  
P  
"I hate to say this, but, if that was your best, then...I'm real disappointed, Kakarrot..." He purred. Goku was shocked, but recovered quickly. Raimi reached out to Goku telepathically.BR  
P  
"IHey, you gonna be okay/I?" BR  
"II can't believe him...but yeah...in a weird way...I'm getting kind of excited/I!" Goku replied.BR  
"IWelcome to being a true Saiyan, my dear; the Saiyan motto is; win or else/I..." Raimi told him. He laughed at that, and Vegeta laughed as well, though he couldn't have heard the silent exchange. She could barely hear him as he thought out loud, not caring if Goku could hear him.BR  
P  
"He's laughing; has he given up and stopped caring, or can he increase his power even more?" He mused, then tossed off the question, and prepared for the next round. "I'd say you've hit your limit, so let me show you something new before you die. Behold the overwhelming power of an Elite Saiyan warrior..."BR  
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead all ready!" Goku replied, anxious to finish this.BR  



	41. XXXXI

"I'd say you've hit your limit, so let me show you something new before you die. Behold the overwhelming power of an Elite Saiyan warrior..."BR  
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead all ready!" Goku replied, anxious to finish this.BR  
P  
"Ohhh, I look forward to erasing that smirk, Kakarrot..." Vegeta laughed. He spread his feet as if he was on the ground, bracing his whole body as he powered up. The ground shook, all the rocks and bluffs for one hundred yards around crumbled and the debris rose into the air. Clouds rolled in, covering the sky as lighting crashed all around. Raimi was forced to put up a IKi/I shield to keep the rocks from hitting her, and watched in amazement as a hurricane force wind blew away from Vegeta's glowing body.BR  
P  
"What IKi/I!! He's making the whole earth tremble with it!" Goku yelled, as he protected his eyes from the windborne rocks. Vegeta suddenly howled, and threw his arms out, as a blast erupted from him. Raimi turned her head away from the light, but could hear the ground groaning and breaking up even more. Finally, Vegeta stopped yelling, and she felt the wind stop. When she looked again, she saw that the area was completely devastated. Goku peered about, then shivered as he felt Vegeta's massive IKi/I. He turned his head slowly, and then realized that Vegeta had him in his sights.BR  
P  
"This is it...Kakarrot!" Vegeta laughed, and launched himself at Goku at phenomenal speed. Goku was so stunned by the huge IKi/I and the speed that Vegeta suddenly was displaying, that he didn't even move out of the way. Vegeta's head connected with Goku's with a horrendous thud, and Goku flew backwards. Vegeta blurred out and reappeared above him, dropping his elbow into Goku's midriff, which caused Goku to fall straight down.BR  
P  
Four feet above the rocks below, Goku righted himself and immediately looked up, searching for the Prince. Before Raimi could call out, Vegeta kicked him in the shoulder. Goku was hurled forward spinning, and saved himself from being crushed by jumping up a huge bluff. He landed on the top, and reached back to his injured shoulder as he once again scanned for the other Saiyan. He spotted Vegeta this time, but almost too late. The Prince had created a ball of fire in one hand, and now threw it at Goku. The younger Saiyan gasped, and jumped up, calling out the Kaio-ken times two as he did. Once more his IKi/I flared red, and his speed increased; the bolt of fire missed him and exploded below. Goku stared at the blast, so almost missed seeing Vegeta send another bolt at him. Goku dodged it, but only just barely. His gi ripped away from his right side, and his shoulder was burnt. He panted with shock as Vegeta laughed.BR  
P  
"That's good, that's very good, you dodged that well! You're rather nimble, aren't you?" He called as he landed again. Goku also dropped, looking grim. Raimi sighed above them. She had no intention of setting down yet. This was just getting interesting! Then she was startled by Vegeta's voice calling to her.BR  
P  
"Hey Raimi...think fast!" He said, and suddenly sent out a Sokidan, or IKi/I ball. She barely had the time to power up and put her hands out to block. The ball hit her palms and pushed against them, but she took a deep breath and pushed it back, then freed one hand. She made her own Sokidan and hurled it at Vegeta's. This was risky, since they could explode too close to her and the concussion would break her arms as she blocked. However, she pushed Vegeta's ball back with her IKi/I and it and her own ball raced each other towards the Prince. He laughed and set up a barrier to shield himself from the blast that went off twenty feet over his head when the spheres met.BR  
P  
Goku stared at Raimi as she panted above him. The power that had erupted from her was incredible, in fact, was almost as much as Vegeta's. Some how, she had more power than he himself did! He had realized that in order to beat Vegeta, he had to power up with the Kaio-ken times three, effectively tripling his power. If Vegeta was three times his own level, and Raimi was almost as powerful, maybe she should fight the Saiyan, not him. He looked down to see that Vegeta was unhurt and smirking at her as she glared back at himBR  
P  
"Well, if your done goofing off, could you tell me just what you have achieved? Other than pissing me off, that is?" Raimi snapped. Vegeta shrugged.BR  
P  
"Well, I know that when I've beaten Kakarrot, you will be even harder to deal with. I will be forced to limit myself to an actual contact fight; you're too strong to have a IKi/I duel with. But I will beat you. Both of you. Never doubt it." He told her.BR  
  
P  
"Goku, you have to listen to me, do the Kaio-ken, times three. It's the only way; you have to trust me on this. He can be beaten, and we will do it, all of us!" She told him mentally.BR  
"You know that I'll probably blow myself up doing this, don't you?"BR  
"Nah, you won't, it's gonna be fine! TRUST ME..."BR  
P  
Vegeta in the meantime, turned back to the younger Saiyan. "You do believe me, don't you? What's the matter, Kakarrot? Why don't you come for me? Have you used up all your tricks? You have chosen the wrong opponent; I was the greatest warrior among all Saiyans. You obviously trained so hard...too bad your failure was predestined. All you have done is prolonged the time it takes for your defeat...that time is now!" Vegeta declared.BR  
P  
"Oh, no you won't! You are about to get your monkey butt whipped into shape! Behold the power of the Triple Kaio-ken!" Raimi laughed, her voice ringing with the power she had summoned and not yet dispersed. He looked up at her, and she pointed to Goku, who nodded. Vegeta's eyebrow went up as Goku began to power it up, and his IKi/I materialized around him as waves of light.BR  
P  
"Okay, just last as long as you can, body! Kaio-ken, Time Three!" Goku yelled. Raimi could just hear Goku's Sensei, the over-protective Kaio-sama, moaning over his student's decision to break the rules. Of course, Vegeta was way too powerful to beat any other way, except for one...herself. And she had sworn to stay out of it if possible; this wasn't her fight to win. She knew Goku could beat Vegeta, but he would need some help to do it. Gohan and Kurilin should be heading back soon.BR  
P  
As for now, Goku was indeed in great danger of overloading his body with his IKi/I. If he wasn't a Saiyan, he'd never be able to pull this off. His Saiyan heritage, which he hated, was also his greatest asset. Even as she mused on this, a high wind came off Goku's body, which was swelling and expanding as his tortured flesh gained strength from his artificially heightened IKi/I. Vegeta was now being nearly blown off of his feet by this man-made gale. He stared in shock as the psychic sense that he'd never had to develop suddenly flared to life, telling him that Goku was now truly a match for him. He was so stunned that he could only stare at Goku as the Kaio-ken red flowed over him once again, and he grimaced at Vegeta with a warning to get ready. Raimi pulled her legs up close to her body, crouching midair and breathing heavily with excitement. She opened her eyes wide and let them go slightly out of focus so she could "see" the action to follow.BR  
P  
Goku moved so fast that Vegeta couldn't see him until he was in his face. He jumped up and landed a fierce punch on Vegeta's jaw. The stunned Saiyan soared backwards, and Goku raced ahead of him and then came up from below, jamming his feet into Vegeta's back, sending him high into the air. Again Goku took off after, and when Vegeta righted himself went around him to come down from behind him. Vegeta started a Sokidan and tried to catch Goku in his sights, but even as the IKi/I left his hands, Goku was somewhere else, and came around in front of the furious Prince. Before Vegeta could react, Goku kicked him in the face.BR  
P  
Vegeta flew backwards once more, going so fast that he smashed through one plateau and into another, ending up buried inside tons of granite. Stray rock blown about by his passing fell to the ground with thuds that were very loud in the dangerously quiet scene. Then Raimi heard a quiet growl of anger that rose in volume and emotion, until with a scream of pure rage, the cliff exploded, revealing Vegeta, eyes white with fury. He spread his arms as he howled, then turned to his left as Goku came at him again. Vegeta hesitated and then swung as Goku came within two feet of him, then jumped over his head, landing and pushing off behind him. Vegeta couldn't even see Goku jump, he just seemed to disappear, but the Prince felt it. Before he could turn, Goku planted his knee into Vegeta's back. This time, Vegeta kept his head better, turning and landing closer and immediately coming back at Goku. His fist swung at Goku so fast that Raimi barely saw it. Goku ducked easily, and countered by burying his fist deep into Vegeta's belly, which was conveniently marked by his armor. Vegeta doubled over as blood spilled from his lips, spattering on the ground between his feet.BR  
P  
"You...fucking bastard..." He gasped, and jumped backwards. Goku panted quietly, trying to figure out just how badly Vegeta was hurt, and if it really mattered in this fight.BR  
P  
"It can't be true...he...he surpassed m-my power! How is this possible...?" Vegeta gasped, shivering with pure frustration and fury.BR  
P  
"He's tough...I gotta finish this quick, or it's gonna be bad..." Goku told Raimi, who agreed. There was a moment of quiet. The two Saiyans stared at each other, one filled with hate for a low-class dog, the other with grudging respect for a truly awesome opponent. Raimi saw Yajirobei below, and he was way too close to the pair of combatants. She didn't bother too warn him, he was a big boy after all; besides, he kind of deserves it...She giggled, near hysteria. This was pure hell to watch. Then she heard Vegeta in her mind, though she didn't think he was trying to reach her this way.BR  
P  
"This cannot be happening! I am an Elite Saiyan warrior, and I can not be beaten by some low-ranked fighter like this tailless loser...I'm the strongest Saiyan in the Universe!" Man was he peeved...BR  
P  
"Raimi, my whole body hurts... I think the Triple was a bit much for me, if I drag this out, I'm gonna tire out first..." Goku sighed. Raimi winced at the exhaustion in his "voice". Just then, something happened that she hadn't known would happen. Vegeta felt something trickling down his face, and thinking that it was sweat, wiped it off with the back of his hand. He immediately noticed the crimson smear of blood on the back of his snow-white glove, and slowly went berserk at the sight.BR  
P  
"Blood...Blood! I...I am shedding my noble blood for this...this trash!! This Baka isn't even worthy of being a Saiyan, much less to breathe the same air as me!" He said, his voice getting louder and louder. Goku looked up at him puzzled. "Well, I cannot endure the knowledge that this baka will even take that next breath air!" Vegeta yelled. With a blast of IKi/I, a ghastly purple light erupted around him.BR  
P  
"I've had enough of this planet, I don't need it! I'll turn it into ashes, and you are going with it!" He roared, and then shot upwards, where his glowing body lit up the darkening sky. "Dodge this one, Trash! Save yourself-and you doom the Earth!" He laughed manically as he dropped into a stance nearly identical to the posture for the Kamehameha. Goku looked up at him, appalled by such horrible combat ethics. Then he turned to Raimi.BR  
P  
"What do I do? Help me out here!" He begged.BR  
"Kaio-ken Time Three and a Kamehameha, and quickly!" She shouted out loud. He didn't argue, but did as she said, even though his body trembled in protest at powering up so hard again.BR  
P  
"Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." Goku intoned, his voice ringing with his massive power. Vegeta laughed at his defensive measures. His body was wreathed in a ghastly purple light that sang and crackled with power. The clouds raced away from him in a widening circle.BR  
P  
"Forget it, you'll never block my Gyarikku gun! Prepare to die, along with this planet you love so much!" Goku's power was rending the Earth, the ground tearing itself to pieces in response to the power he was summoning for his Kamehameha. Vegeta bared his teeth in eager anticipation.BR  
P  
"IThis is it! Gyarikku-ho/I!!!" Vegeta's Voice roared. He turned his hands palm out towards Goku, and a huge beam of purple light shot away towards the other Saiyan.BR  
P  
"...Ha!" Goku howled in response, finishing his power up and releasing a pure white beam that met Vegeta's between them with a resounding crack. Raimi was blown backwards by the shock wave released when the beams met, and Yajirobei was tossed across the floor of the valley. The two Saiyans were suddenly locked in a duel, each man's beam equal in strength, neither able to get the upper hand. Raimi couldn't believe the power they were putting out, she was nearly being cooked by the wash of energy, and she couldn't imagine how they could endure it themselves. Vegeta was in shock, gasping with effort and pain as he pushed his power to the limit, trying to beat Goku.BR  
P  
"His beam looks like my blast...how could he do that?" Vegeta thought out loud. Goku however didn't want to wait for a break, he made his own. He knew that there was the only one way to overpower Vegeta, despite the risk to himself.BR  
P  
"Fine! Try this one on! IKaio-ken...times 4/I!!" Goku screamed. There was a muffled explosion, as the Kamehameha tripled in size, and the beam increased its speed and energy, racing back towards Vegeta along his own beam. Vegeta yelled in disbelief, then the beam hit him. Goku's Kamehameha exploded when it hit Vegeta's outstretched hands, stunning him so he couldn't block the blast. His limbs were flung out as the blast bathed him in its power, tearing off parts of his armor, and then hurling him up and out of sight.BR 


	42. XXXXII

Raimi turned away from the dwindling speck of light that was Vegeta, and looked down to see Goku trembling and panting with pain. She dropped down to the ground by him, and offered her shoulder to him. He leaned heavily on her, and coughed. She smiled as he started to shake off his pain and tried to stand straight.BR  
P  
"Hey, take it easy for now. He's hardly been defeated, we both know that." She scolded; he sighed and relaxed against her. Just then Yajirobei ran up, full of the glory of victory, even though he hadn't fought.BR  
P  
"I can't believe you did it! Goku!" He yelled as he screeched to a halt by them.BR  
"Ya...Yajirobei? What are you doing here?" Goku asked with a smile. Raimi looked up and stretched her senses to the limit to try and see how Vegeta was doing. Goku and Yajirobei chatted for a moment, and then they both were surprised as she grabbed Yajirobei's hand just as he went to slap Goku on the back.BR  
P  
"Hey don't touch him, okay? He's..." Raimi's eyes went wide as she felt Vegeta's pain and fury like a wave of heat over her. Goku stared into her eyes, and his mouth tightened.BR  
P  
"You better run for it, okay?" He said to his old friend. Yajirobei stuttered in fear and disbelief, then scampered off. Now Goku was supporting Raimi as she was trying to break the simple yet powerful telepathic touch Saiyans could use only between themselves. He didn't understand what was going on, but he could feel something was wrong. Just then she screamed in fury, and her voice sounded like Vegeta's.BR  
P  
" DAMN YOU! Kakarrot's power...he CANNOT be more powerful than...than me!" She crouched down, then stretched out to her full height, and screamed again. "DAMN HIM!! I am the greatest warrior of all!!!" She suddenly relaxed and smiled wickedly, then her eyes focused on Goku's startled face. She could still hear the Prince's thoughts, and 'listened' to him while watching Goku, who was just baffled by all this. She whispered Vegeta's thoughts for his benefit.BR  
P  
"Time to stop worrying about being pretty...time to transform and crush him...Ha, my Ozura form is enough to terrify even me!" She shook her head, and looked worriedly at Goku. She could tell he didn't understand what she had just said, and there really wasn't much point in explaining it, so she sighed and shook her head.BR  
P  
"What...why did you say all that? Are you okay now?" Goku asked, and then looked up. "And why isn't he coming down yet?" They stared up at the empty sky, and Raimi shrugged.BR  
P  
"I'll explain later, okay? He'll be back soon, and you need to be ready to run." Goku looked at her in amazement. Run? After all this, RUN? Unless...BR  
"Are you gonna fight him?" He asked. She didn't answer him.BR  
P  
Vegeta landed lightly fifty yards before them and smiled like the cat that got the cream. Goku mumbled about the Genki-Dama, but Raimi just stared at the smug Prince. He was relaxed, even letting his tail wave gently behind him.BR  
P  
"So, who thought of blowing up the Moon? Was it you, Kakarrot?"BR  
"The Moon? What are you...?" Goku said predictably.BR  
P  
"Shut up! Don't play the fool!" Vegeta snapped. "Do you even know how we Saiyans transform by seeing the full moon?"  
"Tra...Transform?" Goku blurted. Raimi rolled her eyes.BR  
P  
"Vegeta, Goku has no idea of what you are saying, really. His friends have sheltered him from the truth since he was a child." She said in Saiya-go. Vegeta's eyebrow went up.BR  
"Okay, I'll explain. Moonlight is only reflected sunlight...but when a moon reflects sunlight, it contains green-spectrum radiation. When the moon is full, that radiation exceeds #17 million Zeno units per second...and when we Saiyans absorb that full amount through our eyes, then there is a reaction..."BR  
P  
"A reaction in one of the glands in our tails, causing us to transform into the feared Ozura...And any moon will reflect this radiation even if it isn't green, but only if it is full, showing it's entire facing surface. However if there isn't a full moon available, the Elite Saiyan classes have a cute little trick up their sleeves." Raimi finished. Vegeta smiled evilly and turned his right hand palm upwards.BR  
P  
"Yes, go on..." He purred. Raimi turned her head away and took a shaky breath. Goku was looking back and forth between them, baffled by the scientific talk.BR  
"The most powerful Saiyans can compress the planets atmosphere with a special Sokidan and create a small artificial moon to reflect 17 Million Zeno..." She said her voice weakening as she spoke. A bright small light appeared in Vegeta's palm. He panted as if he were holding a massive weight in his outstretched hand. Raimi wondered if her precautions would work or if she would go Ozura too...BR  
P  
"Now then, it's time, Kakarrot, time to die! Low ranked warriors...simply shouldn't challenge one of the Elite! Heh heh..." The light was floating above his palm, as he smirked at the pair of defenders.BR  
P  
Goku edged closer to Raimi who was shielding her eyes. "His power went down when he created that weird ball...what's he doing? I don't get all this, Raimi..." He staged whispered. Raimi hissed at him to be quiet, but just then, Vegeta hurled the ball into the air. It soared high up, and hung, as if waiting. Vegeta counted under his breath, and then clenched his spread fingers into a fist.BR  
P  
"Burst and mix!" Vegeta called. The ball exploded massively, causing a powerful breeze. Goku looked up at it puzzled, while Raimi moaned softly. She peeked through her fingers at Vegeta and was mesmerized by the sight. She gasped in amazement.BR  
P  
Vegeta was panting as the first rush of steroids hit him, triggering other responses in his body. His eyes went pure white, then solid glowing red. He was already getting stronger, and was trembling, body shaking as his heart beat fiercely in his chest. Goku's head snapped around and he stared too as Vegeta's eye teeth grew into fangs; all of his teeth went pointed, getting longer. Then, with a strange crunching noise, Vegeta began to grow in all directions, growling in triumph. His size increased rapidly as Raimi and Goku stared in total, mind-numbing shock. The transformation finally was completed, leaving Vegeta a huge hundred foot tall ape-like creature.BR  
P  
"Ha, ha, ha, what do you think of that Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked. Goku swallowed and looked up into Vegeta's massive red eyes, each of which was half Goku's own size.BR  
P  
"I...I've heard of apes like you...my grandpa...you killed my grandpa!" Goku choked out. Vegeta laughed at a statement that he considered absurd. Then he realized what must have happened to the man in question.BR  
P  
"Ha, ha...now that is a good one! A Saiyan is most powerful in its Ozura form...! A Saiyan that still has its tail, that is..." Vegeta said, red eyes narrowed as he waited for Goku to absorb this. Raimi realized that the precautions she had taken were working for now, and turned to offer what comfort she could for Goku, who was indeed figuring it out.BR  
P  
"Wait a minute...you're telling me...that the monster who appeared at the Budokai, and the one who killed my grandpa...that was me, wasn't it?" Gokus voice was strained as he felt the shock of this revelation. He grimaced and stared at the monster before him for a moment, then turned to Raimi.BR  
P  
"I need you to distract him for a minute, okay? Keep him busy for just a minute..."BR  
"Forget that, Kakarrot!" Vegeta laughed and punched Raimi and Goku at the same time. Goku jumped away successfully, however Raimi was slammed backwards through three cliffs before she was buried in a fourth, stunned and out of breath. She gathered some energy and let out a small explosion to free herself, only to find Vegeta waiting. He grabbed her in his left hand, and then turned to sniff the air like a dog. Raimi tried to pull herself free, but could only free her arms. Vegeta strode forward and laughed.BR  
P  
"Hey Kakarrot, I'm kind of hungry; this one is barely a bite, but you are a nice size morsel! Ha, ha, ha!" He called, and then slammed the hand holding Raimi into a cliff. Raimi gasped in pain as she felt her ribs strain and break. Goku appeared from behind the bluff, and began to run and jump to get away. Raimi could barely breathe in Vegeta's huge hand, gasping in quick shallow breaths. Her ribs were hurting, but she tried to ignore them as she felt the scene to find out what was happening.BR  
P  
Goku was running, and when he got to what he felt was a safe distance away, he paused to try and call the Genki-Dama. However, Vegeta was too quick, even in his slow looking Ozura form, and kicked Goku with his massive booted foot. Goku bounced a couple times, then slid to a stop, dazed. He looked up and saw the huge ape diving at him, ready to smash him into a pulp. He gasped in surprise.BR  
P  
"Kaio-ken!" He yelled, and leapt up out of the way, but he still wasn't fast enough. Vegeta's seventy-foot long tail swung over his head and hit Goku dead on. Goku spun back, and then hung stunned in the air, trying to clear his mind. He heard Vegeta's guttural voice roar, and looked up startled.BR  
P  
"Don't die Baka, before I can kill you!!" Vegeta called. He was racing at Goku again, his huge bestial face grinning. Raimi was still tying to escape, when she heard Goku yell something...BR  
P  
"Sorry Tien! I gotta borrow your move! Taiyo-ken!" Instantly a bright white light, brighter than a thousand suns erupted from Goku, right in Vegeta's face. The light was tangible, Raimi could feel it on her skin, and she was glad she had remembered to cover her face. Vegeta wasn't so lucky; he took the blast square in his red eyes. He paused in his rush and howled in pain as his eyes went temporarily blind. Raimi's ribs gave a twinge in protest as Vegeta put his hands to his shocked eyes, crushing her against his face. She was surprised by how soft the fur on his face was, but it still hurt to be pressed against his sharp cheekbone with her ribs broken like they were.BR  
P  
"That little Bastard! What was that?" He roared.BR  
"That was Tenshinhan's "Fist of the Sun", the Taiyo-ken!" Raimi laughed, then coughed. She felt blood tricking from her lips, and sighed. She had to get away from him! She wiggled again, and he squeezed again. She screamed this time, as more ribs snapped.BR  
P  
"Oops, sorry. I better stop that, I need you alive, but of course, I can fix you up in the tank, so...just hang in there, eh Kirei?" He said. She didn't know if she should be flattered or insulted by this little speech. She tried to find the calm required for feeling Goku, and finally found him, amazed at the massive power around him. That Genki-Dama would be incredible...BR  
P  
"Where is he? Kakarrot, you're dead..." Vegeta growled, his eyes still blinded. Raimi suspected that he was fearful of being permanently blind...BR  
P  
"Little Traitor, you've hurt my eyes! He hurt my eyes...Where are you, Kakarrot? If he doesn't answer, I'll crush you so bad..." The furious Ozura snarled, head swinging back and forth like a wounded bear. He couldn't see anything, but Raimi could somehow feel the effort he was making to find him, to feel him like Raimi herself could. It was all Raimi could do not to twist her body to look at Goku as he called the Genki-dama, both from the need to give him more time, and the pain she was having more and more difficulty ignoring.BR  
P  
Goku was stretched out to his full height, arms outstretched as he called upon all the power that Chikyu had to give. He was ignoring Vegeta's threats with little difficulty, since he planned on ending this quickly.BR  
P  
"Kakarrot, you're only prolonging the ordeal...you won't escape your death you know...or hers if you don't show yourself!" Vegeta roared, and squeezed Raimi once more. She slapped her hands over her mouth, holding in a scream as her broken ribs ground together, hurting more than she would have thought possible. She felt lightheaded, and then things sort of went gray. She heard a grunt of satisfaction from Vegeta as if it came from far away. The whole world seemed to tilt, and the wind whipping by helped clear her brain.BR  
P  
"I did it..." Raimi heard Goku yell, and tried to call a warning, but was too late. Vegeta yelled, "Die!" and exhaled a huge bolt of IKi/I that raced towards a stunned Goku. He was so surprised, that he couldn't move, only stand there as the beam hit and exploded. Vegeta hung mid air over the devastation, chuckling.BR  
P  
"Look, see what an idiot he was? If he were smart at all, he'd have run. But not the son of a third class Baka, no, Kakarrot waits for it!" He laughed. Raimi bit her lip, wishing she could have done something, if only to save Goku from what was in store for him. She saw him as the dust cleared, groaning in pain, and cursing his own stupidity.BR 


	43. XXXXIII

"My, Genki-dama, my last hope...it's gone..." he sighed. Ever pragmatic, he realized he didn't have many more options, especially if Raimi was as hurt as she seemed. He winced, feeling her pain along with his own.BR  
"Well, well, you're spunky boy, but you're out of everything else, aren't you? Any tricks in your empty head?" Vegeta asked casually, as if he were inquiring about what Goku wanted for supper. Raimi raised her head, and blinked her blurry eyes, focusing on Goku with effort.BR  
P  
"I...I used all my IKi/I...all of it...the make the sphere...I've got nothing...nothing left at all..." Goku laughed. Vegeta strode forward, his massive bulk shaking the ground. Goku gathered himself, waiting for an assault.BR  
P  
"Used up, eh? It's about Damn time, Kakarrot! I'm pissed off and bored to boot." He said, lifting his foot and readying himself to stomp Goku into a spot in the valley floor. Goku leapt up and attempted to get away, but Vegeta batted him into a granite pile. Goku hit hard and fell to the ground stunned. Vegeta jumped up and came down, landing on one foot. Unfortunately, the one foot was planted on Goku's legs, below both knees. Raimi felt his horrified pain, and nearly fainted at the sound of his bones splintering under Vegeta's massive weight. This was ridiculous! She had to do something, anything...BR  
P  
"Ohhhhhhh SHIT!! My legs!" Goku howled, his whole body trembling with pain. Raimi gathered all her energy, though she wasn't sure what she was going to do with it, and sent Goku a suggestion.BR  
P  
"Goku! Listen, Kurilin and Gohan are almost here! You gotta buy us just a few more seconds..." She said into his tortured mind, and played the next few moments to come, as she knew them, in her mind. She saw him nod ever so slightly, understanding what she was telling him to do.BR  
P  
"Tsk tsk tsk! Silly me! I've left you alive! Heh heh heh...Let's see if I have better aim this time, eh Kakarrot?" Vegeta taunted the fallen Goku. He extended the first finger of his free hand, and took aim. "Well, you better hope that you die this time...or would you rather watch the Earth be destroyed?" He asked with sarcastic concern.BR  
"Shut up Vegeta...You beat me...you were stronger than I or anyone...anyone else thought...But if you think it's something to be proud of...you're gonna learn...you're gonna pay, someday..." Goku gasped.BR  
P  
Vegeta's massive gloved finger descended; ready to crush Goku's chest, but Goku had one more trick up his sleeve. He waited until the last second, and then shot a beam on IKi/I straight into Vegeta's right eye. Immediately, the Ozura arched backwards, howling in outraged pain. Raimi found herself pressed to Vegeta's furry cheek, as he held his hands over his eyes.BR  
P  
"Just... call it... s-something to remember me... by... " Goku said quietly, though his voice was easy to hear. He collapsed, limp on the valley floor. "Ha ha... can't even... move my hands now... do what you... want... " He smiled serenely as Vegeta panted, controlling the pain, and pulling Raimi away from his face. He still covered his right eye, and growled angrily.BR  
P  
"...Impudent...little bastard!" He pulled his hand down, revealing an empty eye socket, blood flowing freely down his face. It wasn't as awful to see as Goku might have thought. "You've scared my face!" Vegeta howled as he grabbed Goku with his free hand. "I'll crush you!!!" Goku grunted as Vegeta tightened his grip. Raimi felt his hand tighten on her as well, and pushed back with her IKi/I, trying to distract him from Goku.BR  
P  
Vegeta just squeezed both of them harder. Goku's scream pierced her eardrums as his body was slowly crushed. Raimi jammed her arms back into the massive hand holding her and started to force the fingers open.BR  
P  
"Oh no you don't, I've had enough of your peskiness!" Vegeta said and slapped his hands together. She found herself pressed against Goku, and wrapped her arms and legs around him, trying to brace Vegeta's hands apart. She partly succeeded, and now she was the one slowly folding under his immense grip. Her legs were going to break under this pressure; Goku's arms were already broken, he couldn't even hold onto her to help himself. As they were squeezed again, she felt his ribs break against her armor, making her wince in guilt.BR  
P  
"Let go! Vegeta stop it, you'll kill us, and how..."BR  
"Wait!" Vegeta snapped. "Someone's here." His head swung back and forth as he sniffed and listened.  
"Yeah, right here!! Let go of my dad and Raimi right now!" Gohan yelled, landing lightly on a small mesa before them. Vegeta's eye widened and he laughed.BR  
P  
"Why, what a surprise! Kakarrot, your son came to watch you die!" He laughed as he stepped closer. "I do love family. Watch closely, little fella. Here it comes." He rearranged his grip on the pair of Saiyans, possibly trying to move Raimi's limbs out of the way, and pressed them together once more.BR  
P  
"Goku? Goku, wake up!" Raimi hissed painfully. Goku's head was rolled back, and he was obviously unconscious. She wondered if they would both die, contrary to what she knew was supposed to happen. There was a rush of air as Vegeta leapt straight up, avoiding a Kienzan from Kurilin. It was intended to cut off his huge tail, but he'd heard it and knew to avoid it. She tried to get into a position to protect Goku better, and felt a huge pressure around them, so bad her arms and legs gave out, and she was squashed into Goku's body, hearing his unprotected body breaking again. She felt her head arch back as she tried to breath, when the pressure stopped. She could hear Vegeta taunting the helpless Gohan, and...BR  
P  
There was a wild spike in Vegeta's IKi/I, and a loud "PLOP", and Vegeta's fingers slackened. He stumbled back, hissing as he realized that his tail had been cut off after all. His scream of rage shook the heavens as he tried one last time to crush Raimi and Goku, then his fingers lost their strength. Raimi felt them fall out of his grip, and held onto Goku, trying to gather the strength to fly. She didn't quite make it, but did manage to land on her feet, before falling over, Goku landing on top of her. She lifted her head over Goku's shoulder, and watched as Vegeta shrank back to his normal height. The Prince panted, dizzy from the quick transformation. His eye roved over her and Goku, and up to Gohan, then over to Kurilin.BR  
P  
"Oops, this isn't good." She gasped, waiting until he was distracted to try and get Goku's weight off her.BR  
"Suicidal fools...Do you have any idea of what it means to make me angry?" Vegeta hissed. His eye was red, and veins stood out on his forehead worse than Raimi had seen yet. She heard Gohan whispering.BR  
"What's happening? Why did that monster turn into Vegeta?"BR  
P  
"Do you want to die so badly!? Well, you will die for this!!" Vegeta roared, fists clenched in fury. His head lifted, eye focusing on Gohan once more. He blurred out, and Raimi instantly rolled Goku over on his back, and tried to stand. She felt terrible, her ribs a band of white-hot pain. She nearly fainted as she rolled to her knees, and pushed herself up. She knelt by Goku's head, and slowly wiped some of the blood and sweat from his ravaged face.BR  
P  
"Wake up, Goku. Come on, we need you. Gohan... Vegeta has Gohan..." She said softly. He moaned and his eyes fluttered open.BR  
"Raimi? Where...?" He whispered. She pointed to her forehead, meaning for him to use telepathy.BR  
"Look up." She said softly. They looked overhead, and Kurilin shot by, only to be hurled back just as fast. Goku's eyes closed painfully.BR  
"IWe can't beat him! There's no way/I!" He thought.BR  
P  
"Pull the remains of the Genki-dama together, now! You can still do this!" She snapped, willing him to not give up. Just then, Gohan landed beside them with a small thud, tossed over the edge by the vengeful Prince.BR  
"Gohan?" Goku said. The boy groaned. He was hurting; Vegeta had given him a nice head-but by the looks of it.BR  
P  
"Gohan, listen...Dad's body is...messed up, I can't move any...any more...you... have to fight for me instead...h... he's a lot weaker now too..." Goku told his son.BR  
"He's...strong...he's too strong for me! I can't...I can't do it Daddy!" Gohan whimpered.BR  
P  
Raimi tried to stand but could only get one knee off the ground, her foot planted solidly. The other leg wouldn't move, she was so tired... but Gohan was scared, and she had sworn to IKi/I-IKi/I...BR  
"You don't... have to win... just hold him off, I know... you have the strength to do that!" Goku chuckled, sounding frighteningly like the Brat plotting something nasty. "Kurilin will finish him off..."BR  
P  
"I can't, it hurts too much..." Gohan said. Goku's Saiyan nature suddenly flared to life. Raimi stared as Goku chewed out his six year-old son.BR  
"What are you, a coward?... gonna let all those people... die for nothing?! What did... Piccolo teach you... ?!" Before Gohan could defend himself, Vegeta appeared, landing on his knee, which was buried into Goku's abdomen. Goku's voice gurgled in his throat, as blood spilled from his lips.BR 


	44. XXXXIIII

Raimi froze, staring at Gohan as she heard Vegeta stomp on Goku repeatedly, and felt her temper rise, blocking out her pain. She saw herself as if from a distance, planting her left foot firmly beneath her crouched form. She saw herself rise so fast she was a blur, and punch Vegeta in the jaw. His head snapped back, and he stumbled a few steps backward, finally falling onto his rear. He looked up, and his fury at her blow turned into amazement.BR  
P  
She stood over Goku, hair free of its ties and floating around her like she was in a windstorm. Her IKi/I wreathed her in a Blue-Violet nimbus, cracking like lightning, and her eyes had gone solid black. She looked like an avenging Goddess, powerful and unstoppable. She hissed at him, tail lashing like an angry cats.BR  
"That's enough! Stop being a pig like Nappa, and be a man for once in your life, Oji-sama..." She spat the honorific like a curse. "I will not endure one more blow aimed at this man, he did his best and lost, it's OVER!" She stepped forward, and Vegeta actually felt himself cringe. He shook it off and stood, looking down at her from his scant advantage in height.BR  
P  
"The fight ends when one of us is dead, not before! That's how Saiyans fight, you know that. Now out of my way!" He said, his voice quiet and deadly. Raimi didn't move. He raised one hand, finger pointed like a gun, and rested it between her eyes. Raimi stood as straight as she could, and stared into his eyes. He felt his grudging for her respect grow; she was tough, and brave, that was undeniable. Too bad he had to kill her. He knew she would do everything in her power to keep him away from Kakarrot, and he needed to kill him. His Pride demanded it; he had no other choice...BR  
P  
"Stop it... " Gohan said behind him. Vegeta spared a glance over his shoulder at the boy.BR  
"Stop it." Gohan repeated, his voice louder this time. Vegeta laughed, and turned back to Raimi and Goku.BR  
P  
"I SAID STOP!!!" Gohan's small child's voice was now full of grown-up Saiyan rage. Vegeta couldn't ignore it this time. He turned around and looked at the boy condescendingly. "I'll... I'll... Kill you for this!" Gohan growled, shaking with a fury he couldn't understand or control. Vegeta raised one eyebrow and smiled.BR  
P  
"You will kill me? Ha!" He didn't seem to care about the immense aura of IKi/I around Gohan, but he learned to care quickly. Gohan shot a beam at the Prince, who shot up out of its way. Raimi swayed to the side and fell as it came at her, and it shot by.BR  
As Raimi hit the valley floor, she looked up, and saw Gohan land a sweet kick on Vegeta's jaw. The Saiyan flew, Gohan behind him. Vegeta recovered quickly, and slammed his foot into Gohan's forehead. The boy paused, grabbing his face, and then jumped into a spar with the Prince. After a flurry of blows, the boy took another hit, which sent him flying, the arrogant Vegeta in pursuit.BR  
P  
As this was happening, Kurilin crept over to Goku and Raimi, clutching his arm, which looked dislocated. Raimi felt her rush of adrenaline start to fade, leaving her body throbbing with pain. She knelt over Goku, wiping the fresh blood away, and calling to him. He woke again, groaning softly. Raimi felt bad, bringing him back to the pain consciousness must bring to him, but they needed that Genki-dama.BR  
P  
"Goku, this is hopeless! He's just too strong... why didn't you tell Gohan to run?" Kurilin sighed, already writing himself off. Raimi shook her head.BR  
"Goku has an ace up his sleeve, Kurilin, don't give up yet!" She told him.BR  
"She's right, I've gotta give this to you before it's too late!" Goku agreed weakly.BR  
"Give me what?"BR  
P  
"The Genki-dama, Kurilin, the last chance." Raimi sighed, watching the combatants above. Gohan was doing surprisingly good against Vegeta. However, even tired, Vegeta was a supreme warrior, and was giving the game Gohan a nice thrashing.BR  
"...Yeah, the Genki-dama, it's made of IKi/I that I gathered from all over the Earth... Most of it got away, but I think there's enough to beat him, while he's weakened... " Goku said. Kurilin didn't understand, and shook his head, baffled.BR  
P  
"But... But..."BR  
"Kurilin, hold... hold my hand..." Goku ordered.BR  
"But I don't get how..." Kurilin hedged. Goku and Raimi glared at him.BR  
"Hurry! Or Gohan will die! He can't last much longer!" The said in unison. Kurilin winced at the double tone of reproach.BR  
P  
"Just hold your hand..." He said, and took a hold of Goku's battered arm. "...Like this?" He said, and he heard the broken bones grind together in Goku's arm.BR  
"Y-your arm is broken Goku!" He choked, feeling nausea sweep over him. His friend was so badly injured, how could he still be alive? And Raimi's armor and boots were drenched in her own blood from her injuries as well.BR  
P  
"Just... hold it! Please, don't... don't let go!" Goku groaned. Kurilin held Goku's wrist gingerly, as he concentrated and his hand began to glow. The glow spread to Kurilin's hand, and he gasped as he felt the power he now held.BR  
"Yeeee-oww! What IS this?!" The monk whispered. The IKi/I in this... I've never felt anything like it, it's incredible!"BR  
P  
"Turn your palm up... good, now concentrate... it'll become a sphere... " Goku coached, hope in his voice again. Kurilin's brow furrowed as he focused on the Genki-dama. Raimi had been watching the fight above, but snuck a glance at her friends face as he succeeded in making it turn into a sphere. Goku held his breath. Kurilin sweated. Then, with a soft booming noise, a beautiful blue ball rose and hung above Kurilin's palm.BR  
P  
"Is this... Is this... Is this... Is this it?" Kurilin said, awe and pleasure in his voice as he gazed at the Genki-dama lovingly. He had done it!BR  
P  
"Yes, I knew... you could do it, Kurilin! Now listen... You have to... hit him with it... first try!!" I... don't have the strength to make another one... you have to hit him with this one..." Goku said carefully. Raimi swallowed nervously. Kurilin actually held up well under pressure, but he lacked confidence, especially now that he felt he'd failed his friends. He had to believe that he could do this, or else they were doomed.BR  
P  
While the trio was huddled together, working on the Genki-dama, Gohan was slowly losing to Vegeta, who was lading more and more hits on the boy. There was no way strength could make up for experience in this fight, Vegeta was too well prepared by his past. He could read many of Gohan's moves before the boy even decided on them himself. He lost sight of Vegeta and paused midair, looking about for him. Vegeta re-appeared in front of Gohan, and slammed him to the ground. Gohan landed on hands and knees, and hopped up right away.BR  
P  
"Man! Dad weakened him, but he's still so strong... Ok, try this! Masenko!" He yelled, and shot his special attack at the Prince. Vegeta laughed in delight.BR  
"That's the spirit! One last futile effort!!" He laughed, and blurred out before the blast reached him. Gohan's eyes widened with surprise, but he remembered to "feel" his opponent out, and readied another bolt for the Saiyan. They repeated the sequence over and over, as Vegeta gambled on tiring his young opponent out. It wouldn't take long at this rate...BR  
P  
"Don't worry, Goku, just leave it to me!" Kurilin assured his friend, and looking at Raimi significantly. She nodded and smiled, reasserting what he was hoping; she knew that he'd hit Vegeta from her unique knowledge of these events. She pointed to a granite pile nearby, and he took off. He landed on the top, which afforded a clear view of the surrounding area, including Gohan and Vegeta's struggle. Unfortunately, Vegeta was moving around so fast, that Kurilin could barely see him.BR  
P  
"Damn you! Hold still! If you keep jumping around like that, I'll never hit you!!" Kurilin cursed, unable to guess where the Saiyan would be next.BR  
'Don't use your eyes. Feel his evil IKi/I and throw... ' A disembodied voice echoed in Kurilin's mind. The monk jumped, and looked around him in bafflement.BR  
"Who... who SAID that?!" He squeaked in alarm.BR  
P  
'I am Kaio the Lord of Worlds. I taught Son Goku the Genki-dama. You hold in your hand the IKi/I... and the hope... of an entire planet!!' The voice said; Kurilin saw Raimi and Goku look up. They could hear the voice too!BR  
"The Lord of Worlds...? Okaaay... Feel evil IKi/I, and throw... got it... " Kurilin closed his eyes, and calmed himself. He centered himself and waited for this evil IKi/I to rise...BR  
P  
"Heh. I tried to tell your father... even an infinite number of lesser Saiyans is no match for one of the Elite... and I am above even that!" Vegeta said to Gohan as he strode forward, closing the distance between them slowly. Gohan waited, tired and out of breath. Suddenly, the Prince stopped and spread his feet apart. He tightened his arms, and reached back, then began machine-gunning IKi/I balls at the stunned Gohan. The boy stared at the Makosen bolts headed for him, and barely jumped away in time to keep from getting killed. He ran backwards, as the balls landed exactly half his height in front of him every step of the way. Vegeta was using tremendous control, keeping the explosions just out of range of really hurting Gohan.BR  
P  
Raimi held Goku up, letting him rest against her so he could watch the drama himself.BR  
"Why is he doing that?" Goku gasped.BR  
"He wants to do it with his hands, or at least in close range, that's why. Killing another Saiyan is a rare thrill for the Elite. He wants to make the most of this... " Raimi said softly. Goku's jaw tightened, but his face showed no emotion as she spoke. They watched as one blast hit too close, and Gohan flew into a cliff, shattering it with his small body.BR  
"Kurilin, please!" Goku choked.BR  
P  
"Feel it... Feel the IKi/I... " Kurilin coached himself, waiting with eyes closed. He could feel Gohan's IKi/I dropping, but Vegeta's was as well. The Prince was too tired and hurt to maintain this high power level for much longer. He hoped the signal came soon; he was going to lose his nerve if this kept up...BR  
P  
Gohan crept out of the rock fall that covered him, and shook his head. He was dizzy, and knew he had to regain control quickly. Vegeta didn't plan on letting him do it though.BR  
P  
"Take a long look, Kakarrot! Say farewell to your son!!" The Saiyan called as he sprinted towards the woozy Gohan. Goku gasped fearfully, and Raimi bit her lip with worry. Suddenly, Kurilin yelped from above.BR  
"That was it!! I've got it!!" Unfortunately, Yajirobei, who had been watching from nearby, suddenly yelled at Kurilin.BR  
P  
"What the heck are you doing, you moron! Just throw it already!" Raimi and Goku froze in shock; the damned fool had gotten Vegeta's attention!BR  
"I should have poisoned him back on the Tenka!" Raimi hissed, forgetting that he'd cut off Vegeta's tail, which made him somewhat of a hero.BR  
P  
"What? Throw what...?" Vegeta snapped as he slowed his run.BR  
"No! Bakayaro!" Kurilin yelled; he tossed the ball anyway, as his instinct told him to do. The Genki-dama swung in a broad arch, skimming the ground, and making its way towards the startled Prince. Vegeta stopped and turned to face the thing, eye wide with disbelief.BR  
P  
"What the... This is... " He didn't finish the thought, but jumped straight up at the last instant.BR  
"Ohshitohshitohshit..." Yajirobei chanted as the ball passed under Vegeta and shot towards Gohan instead.BR  



	45. XXXXV

"What the... This is... " Vegeta didn't finish the thought, but jumped straight up at the last instant to avoid the Genki-dama.BR  
"Ohshitohshitohshit..." Yajirobei chanted as the ball passed under Vegeta and shot towards Gohan instead.BR  
P  
"NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!" Kurilin yelled in frustration. Raimi didn't lose her cool though.BR  
P  
"Goku, tell him, tell Gohan to bounce it back! Hurry!" She snapped, her voice commanding. Goku relayed the message to his son.BR  
"Gohan, you're IKi/I isn't evil! You can bounce it back! Do it!" Gohan blinked, and raised his hands in a blocking posture. Raimi, Kurilin and Goku heard King Kai gasp in their heads as the Genki-dama hit the boys spread fingers and pushed violently against them. Gohan was knocked off his feet as the ball suddenly took off after Vegeta once more.BR  
P  
Vegeta felt it coming, but couldn't move out of the way. His eye stared at it as it came closer and closer, and then enveloped him with a falsely gentle touch. A split second later it exploded massively. The ball expanded, surrounding him in a horrible pure white light. His voice rose in a tortured scream as it crackled and hissed, doing who knew what to him. His armor cracked and broke into pieces, as he writhed in agony.BR  
P  
Raimi watched this terrible display, and unknowingly rose to her feet, letting the equally unknowing Goku slide to the ground once more. She stared upwards, eyes tearing at the bright light. Streamers fell from the huge sphere now, and Raimi noticed that he seemed to stretch out, like he was being pulled in all directions. He screamed once more, and the Genki-dama hurtled him upwards. Raimi felt her breath catch in her throat; she didn't feel elated about this. She felt confused, and part of her wanted to kill her friends for doing this to him. She gasped at the realization, and wondered where this anger came from. A dim image of her old Sensei Kakarrot came to mind.BR  
P  
"Immersion Therapy! That's it! He did it to me in the Tank!" She mumbled to herself. That old bastard! No wonder she hadn't wanted to change the fight, or really fight herself! She had been programmed not to fight the Prince or his escort! "Ohhhhh, if I could get my hands on that old Ape-face! I'd..." The guys yelling cut off her angry tirade.BR  
P  
'You guys did it!' King Kai exclaimed in all their minds. Gohan smiled and chuckled happily, and Yajirobei sighed in relief.BR  
"Yahoo! We did it! We did it, we did it!" Kurilin called loudly. "Goku, we did it!"BR  
P  
"Gohan... " Goku whispered. Gohan limped over to his father, smiling weakly. Raimi joined the group, and knelt next to Goku, her smile faint at best; they didn't seem to notice.BR  
"We... we really beat him, Daddy!" Gohan said peering into his fathers face. Goku smiled proudly.BR  
P  
"Hey, of course we did, you doubted it *ahem*?" Kurilin chuckled.BR  
"You guys all look pretty awful, you know... " Goku teased. Raimi's smile grew broader.BR  
P  
"I don't recommend looking in a mirror for a while Goku, you are a real mess!" She said, and laughed. They joined her, but stopped when she leapt to her feet, staring upwards at a tiny speck in the sky. Her eyes blurred for a moment as her ribs hurt, and then she could see it clearer. She and Goku groaned in unison; they could see what it was better than their companions.BR  
P  
"Shimatta! Its..." She must be in shock; she'd known he'd be back! She should have warned them! Just then the speck resolved itself into the form of Vegeta, falling at horrendous speed. He hit the ground hard, totally limp. He appeared to be dead, but Raimi knew better. The others stared, and tried to feel if he had any IKi/I anymore.BR  
P  
"That's the Saiyan!" Gohan said worriedly. Kurilin stood and started to go over to the lifeless body.BR  
"It's Okay. He's dead. He was a nasty one..."BR  
"Kurilin, get back here! He's not..." Raimi said.BR  
P  
"He has no IKi/I, he's dead for sure, Raimi. He was a great fighter.... I guess I'll at least dig a grave..." Vegeta's eye opened, and he smiled wickedly, pleased with his control of his IKi/I. They had really believed him to be dead!BR  
"Dig a grave, huh? You must mean for yourselves!" He laughed.BR  
P  
There was a collective "Oh shit!" from everyone, and Yajirobei hid again, knowing he was a particular target for the Saiyan. Vegeta slowly began to rise, every movement speaking of how badly he was hurt. Kurilin backed away fearfully, shivering in terror.BR  
"You've given me quite a beating... I almost thought you'd gotten me with that last one, heh..." the Prince admitted. "Oh yes, you've taken a nice chunk out of me, but I have enough strength left to finish you." He stepped closer to the now petrified Kurilin, and then backhanded him, tossing him a short distance away. Kurilin choked as he spat out a mouthful of blood.BR  
P  
"After I've killed you all, I'll take the time to heal, and then I'll finally... Finally destroy this miserable planet!" Vegeta pronounced. He started over to where Goku lay at Raimi and Gohan's feet.BR  
"Oh... oh no..." Gohan whimpered. Now that Vegeta wasn't shielding his IKi/I, he felt too strong, still, to be beaten by them. Raimi knelt next to Goku, her injuries forgotten again as she readied for the attack that was coming.BR  
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"You bastards! Taxing my powers to the limit... actually hurting me! Me! But what hurts my pride the most, is that I've actually had to struggle with scum like you... " Vegeta said angrily as he slowly stepped closer. "So die! Just... die!!!" He snarled, powering up as he spoke.BR  
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Gohan gaped in horror, and Kurilin tried to stand and be by his friends as they faced death yet again.BR  
"Damn him... Damn him...!! " Goku groaned, finding that he couldn't move at all. Raimi caught Vegeta's eye, and he stared at her coldly as he crossed his arms. His IKi/I was a huge corona around him as he nearly reached his limit.BR  
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"Hai-yaah!" He screamed, tossing his arms out and releasing his IKi/I in a massive explosion. Raimi grabbed the helpless Goku and flew backwards, dropping behind a bluff that was barely far enough away to not get hurt by the blast. Goku was out again, the pain of being moved so violently too much for him. Raimi fell over him, on her hands and knees, gasping as she felt blood dribbling from her lips. She was hurt worse than she wanted to think about. She didn't have time to rest though, she had to help them beat Vegeta off.BR  
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The thinning of the dust cloud created by his explosion revealed the Saiyan, arms still spread, head tossed back as he panted exhaustedly. He slowly leaned forward, nearly falling on his face, and scanned the area for his opponents. He stood on a rise in the center of a huge blast crater, with Kurilin draped over a pile of debris behind him. Goku and Raimi were on a flat area a distance to his left. The one he saw first though was little Gohan, face down on a small boulder. He scowled as he felt that they were all still alive.BR  
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"What the...? What's... wrong with... me? They... they should all be... dead... " He mumbled; his knees went wobbly, and he slumped slowly towards the ground. He shook his head and growled in frustration As he stood straight again. "The damage... is much worse than... than I supposed! I've got to kill them now... got to get... some rest... " He said to himself as he flew shakily over to Gohan's prone form. He stared at the boy for a few moments before he realized what was wrong with what he was looking at. Gohan's tail had grown back!BR  
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"Oh, shit! Just great, why now?" Vegeta snapped, and then noticed his shadow. His shadow... his head turned as he looked over his shoulder and saw the Moon sphere. "I can't let him transform!" he said, feeling a spark of desperation. He raised his hand over his head, as energy gathered in his palm. The silence was suddenly broken by a shout of "Banzai!!!!" The startled Prince turned and saw, of all people, Yajirobei jumping at him, katana swinging in a broad arch towards him. Vegeta's jaw dropped in shock as the blade sliced into his back, going through his battered armor like butter. Blood welled up out of the slash as he stumbled forward and fell. Yajirobei fell also, and rolled to his feet quicker than one would have expected in such a tubby guy. He stood over the fallen Prince and waved the sword around manically.BR  
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"I did it!! I killed you!! Ha ha ha ha!! Whaddya think of that, you overrated goon?!" He gloated. The Saiyan didn't move.BR  
Raimi checked Goku, and determined that he was still alive, then stood slowly. She saw Yajirobei standing over Vegeta, and scowled deeply. Bad as Vegeta was, to attack his back was not honorable, and she didn't like how the over confident man stood over him like that. She leaned against the pile of granite behind her, and wondered if she should warn him that Vegeta was far from dead. Nah, he deserved what he was getting...BR  
P  
"You met your match in me! You couldn't handle the great Yajirobei!" He reveled, before they all heard a small groan from the fallen warrior. Vegeta moved his arms, and planted his palms on the ground, pushing himself up slowly. Yajirobei gulped fearfully as the angry Saiyan stood and glared at him.BR  
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"Damn... you... " He gasped. Yajirobei "eek" ed like a girl, and swung his blade at Vegeta. If he had been a human, he'd have been decapitated, but Vegeta ducked and as Yajirobei kept swinging, kept moving out of the blades path. Vegeta followed Yajirobei as he backed away trying to hit the Prince. The Saiyan huffed as he walked, pulling his hand back in preparation to give the fat man the thrashing of his life. Yajirobei dropped his katana and waved his empty hands like flags of surrender.BR  
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"Hey hey! I was just foolin' wit' yah! I didn't really hurtcha did I?" Vegeta was growling like a rabid dog now, eye blazing with blood lust. "Heh, I know!! You could let me into your team! I'm pretty good, ain't I!?" Vegeta lowered his head and quivered in is rage.BR  
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"Like I want to have the baka who cut off my tail anywhere NEAR ME!" He swung his foot into Yajirobei's face, sending him flying. The goofball sat and held his nose, rather than run as any smart person would, and thus received a solid right in his hurt nose. He flew again, his body breaking a boulder when he hit it.BR 


	46. XXXXVI

Raimi decided that Vegeta was far enough away now, and ran over to Gohan, wincing every step, and slapped his face hard. The boy's eyes snapped open, and he looked at her in amazement.BR  
P  
"Look at the Moon, Gohan! Look, it's right there!" She said, and pointed up at it. "Look up into the sky, see it!?" She backed away, as Gohan looked as directed.BR  
"The sky?" He said plaintively, and tumbled off his rock. He whimpered in pain, and then Raimi felt it. She leapt to the side as Vegeta raced by her, howling in desperate rage.BR  
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"NNOOO! You'll never see it! You're dead!" He yelled, and landed right on the tiny body, but it was too late. Gohan's IKi/I surged, and Vegeta was pushed off of him by it. Gohan's shirt shredded itself as he began to transform into an Ozura.BR  
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Vegeta landed lightly beside the boy and groaned in fearful frustration. He watched, stunned as the transformation began, and then seemed to panic for the first time.BR  
"St... Stop it!! I won't let you!! I won't let you transform!! You hear me!!" He screamed, and rained blows down on the prone and temporarily helpless child. Gohan was now sprouting hair, and his teeth were growing into pointed fangs. "I have to kill him while I still am able to... " Vegeta said, and then realized that it was now futile. However he had one option left to him.BR  
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"Gohan is transforming? It's a long shot!" Kurilin called to Raimi, who was looking for a good vantage point to watch the struggle from. She nodded, and flew shakily up to a tall spire of rock.BR  
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"It's fate, my friends! Only one of his own can beat him now!" She said loudly. By now Vegeta had jumped down to the rapidly expanding tail, and was trying to pull it off. Gohan roared in pain at the Saiyans tight grip, and raising one large paw-like hand, smashed it into Vegeta. He dropped the tail, and was flattened for a few seconds. A few seconds was all the Ozura needed to finish its conversion. It sat up and loomed over the Prince, who noticed the huge shadow over him. He looked over his shoulder, and realized why everyone who ever saw a Saiyan transformed was so scared.BR  
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Even at five years old, Gohan as an Ozura was so big that his ears were as long as Vegeta was tall. His red eyes radiated anger and his small wounds were now long gashes in his monkey face. He stood over the frightened Prince and began to vent his rage blindly, ignoring the people around him. He smashed the rock pinnacles around him, howling. Kurilin yelled that Goku always lost his reason while transformed, and Raimi waved at him to be quiet. She knew this part by heart.BR  
P  
"But do they lose their reason, or regain their Saiyan savagery?" Kurilin mused as Gohan grabbed a gigantic boulder and seemed to look for a target to smash with it.BR  
"No! Gohan, the Saiyan! Go for the Saiyan! Raimi yelled. The Ozura stopped, and the Prince glared up at her with a savage look. Then Goku added his commands to hers, and Gohan's head lowered, as he looked for the target in question.BR  
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Vegeta swallowed convulsively, and wondered if they had gotten through to the beast. He found out as Gohan dropped the boulder almost on top of him. He jumped away, and cursed as he heard the Earthlings yelling for the monkey to listen to its human soul. He panted and tried to assess his chances of severing that tail; it didn't look too good.BR  
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"If I weren't so wounded... Damn it, if I wasn't hurt like this... and that moon I created will last for another hour... I've got... to cut off that tail!" He panted as he began to prepare a Kienzan for the job. Just then, the Ozura leapt up and came at him, showing the same incredible speed that he'd shown Goku earlier. The Prince jumped the other way, only to find the monkey on his trail. He dodged and avoided the many blows that Gohan aimed at him, but only just barely. He then changed tactics, and flew at the ape. He landed feet first on Gohans forehead, kicking him between the eyes. It hurt, and made the Ozura even angrier. He leapt away from the hand that attempted to catch him, and ran up the furry arm.BR  
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Raimi nodded, amazed at how much energy Vegeta still had. She felt flattened herself, but knew that this was almost over. She watched as Vegeta slid down Gohans back and tried to cut off the tail again, but was forced to leap off when the monkey twisted around and almost caught him again. He hit the ground, barely able to control his legs, and had to jump away again. He was amazed at the monsters speed, though he himself had been just as fast. He jumped up, trying for that cursed tail again, and was swatted away by it instead.BR  
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He crashed into a cliff, and shook his head, trying to clear his mind again. He barely got away as Gohan crashed feet first into the spot where he'd been laying. He jumped and then fell, and turned to see the Ozura descending at him. He pulled the last of his power together and began to machine gun IKi/I bolts at it. The bolts pushed the giant ape back, higher into the air, and then they exploded, obscuring him behind a cloud. Vegeta panted, thinking he'd done it in, and was stunned when he saw the furious Ozura leap out of the cloud, unhurt.BR  
P  
"Oh, come on!" Vegeta gasped and dodged yet again. He'd had enough of this. Seeing an opening he took it.BR  
"Okay, furball! Try this one on!" He yelled, and tossed a Kienzan at the tail. It hit the mark, to Kurilin and Goku's dismay. The ape and its tail tumbled down, and Gohans IKi/I plummeted. Vegeta was smiling triumphantly, when he realized that he couldn't get out of the way of Gohans huge falling body. He was hit by Gohans back and fell to the ground, trapped beneath the transforming Ozura's immense weight. The ground shook as the ape hit.BR  
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Kurilin looked up, and stared in shock. He couldn't believe his eyes. There, in a small depression, lay little Gohan. He was sleeping peacefully on top of the Saiyan, who was in a Vegeta shaped hole. Vegeta groaned and opened his eyes; even the weight of the five-year-old Gohan was painful now. He blinked back tears of pain and slowly moved his arms. They were full of tiny breaks, but he had no choice. He reached into his armor and retrieved the keypad that controlled his ship, now that he didn't have his scouter. He punched in a code, and dropped the pad with a curse.BR  
P  
"What is he made of? Can't anything kill him?" Kurilin groaned, and began the long climb down. Raimi sighed and flew to the ground, then had to lean against the rocks for a moment.BR  
P  
Slowly, Vegeta gathered what little he had left, and rolled over. He yelped in pain, but ignored it, and began to crawl as he heard his ship land a few meters away. Raimi limped over to him, and bent over his body. She couldn't bear to see him crawl, no matter how evil he was. He jerked away from her hands as she grabbed him, and she had to haul him up harder than she wanted. He was hurt far worse than Goku now, and he'd die if he didn't get to his ship soon. Her ribs screamed in agony as she settled his arm over her shoulder, and wrapped her arm around his waist.BR  
P  
"Vegeta, hold still, and I'll get you out of here, okay?" She gasped.BR  
"Why... why are you... helping me?" He asked. His head was low, and she could see his eye was closed. She had to stop to talk. She gasped for air before she spoke.BR  
"Because, you are the last of the Blood. I can't allow you to crawl before these men, even if they are my friends and because I knew someone just like you once. Besides, you'll die if I don't help you. Now, let's go... " She said. He looked at her, and she smiled, remembering his eyes when they had first seen each other. It seemed a lifetime ago. He grimaced in pain, but nodded. She took one step, and then another, before he tried to help himself.BR  
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His legs were full of hairline fractures, but he still tried to carry his own weight. But Vegeta was so weak now, that he couldn't really help Raimi at all. He could only point out obstacles in the way for her, as she helped him inch along. Neither of them noticed Kurilin behind them, nor saw when he stopped to grab Yajirobei's sword, before limping after them.BR  
P  
Raimi had to stop more and more often to catch her breath, and was surprised when Goku touched her mind with encouragement. She glanced sideways at Vegeta, and noticed him watching her.BR  
"You'll kill yourself if you're not careful. You should come with me, the iso-tank... "BR  
P  
"Thank you, but I'm staying here. This is my home. I've lived here, and die here if I must." She said quietly. He looked puzzled at her devotion to a planet that she wasn't even a native of. She smiled at him and started out once more. They were almost there, when they heard Kurilins voice behind them.BR  
P  
"This... is for everyone... you killed, you bastard!" He snarled in a most un-Kurilin like fashion. Vegeta pulled free from Raimi's grasp, and promptly fell on his face. Raimi turned too fast and dropped to her knees, holding her belly.BR  
"No... Kurilin, you can't! He can't die here. He's too important!" She gasped, and looked up into Kurilins ravaged face. He was steaming mad, and ready to kill Vegeta in cold blood. He wasn't going to listen to her anymore, his friends were dead, and she hadn't prevented their deaths when she could have done so. He was going to avenge them now, and no one could convince him otherwise. The Prince stared up at him in fearless defiance.BR  
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"Go ahead... " He sneered, and waited. Raimi slowly stood and placed herself in the way, and saw Kurilins eyes widen and go blank as Goku reached into his mind. She heard Vegeta begin to move toward his ship, scooting backwards, and took a step back with him. She finally turned and helped him up again, and using the last of her IKi/I, levitated them up onto the opened door. She leaned against the doorway, and closed her eyes wearily. Vegeta leaned on the other side, and they panted from their efforts. They both were startled when Kurilin dropped the sword with a clang, and watched them angrily.BR  
P  
"Oi, he's pissed! Well, lets get you into this thing, so I can get some rest, ne?" She said, and did so. He slumped into the seat, which engulfed his small frame. She dropped to her knees and gasped, her midriff white hot, blazing with pain. She felt blood tricking down her chin, and licked her lips. Vegeta pulled her head onto his knee, resting his hand on her head as if in blessing. She felt nervous, since she wouldn't put it past him to kill her right now, helping him aside.BR  
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"I'll be back, and when I do, I'm taking you with me. You are too important to leave here, on this backwater planet. You are a true Saiyan, and should be fighting out there." He said. Raimi sighed and coughed lightly.BR  
"Oh, my dear Prince, you don't have any idea what the future holds." She warned him, lifting her head to look at him. He leaned forward, though it must have hurt, and touched her face. He looked confused.BR  
P  
"Tell me! Who are you, really?" She closed her eyes and frowned painfully.BR  
"I have no past. I am simply a Saiyan; like you yourself, all that I have, all that I am, you see before you." She said. He frowned at this, but he didn't have the strength to say anything more. His eye closed, and his head slumped to his chest. Raimi flew out of the ship, and stood close by, watching as the pod lifted into the air. She followed its flight with her eyes, and turned to find Kurilin waiting to help her.BR 


	47. XXXXVII

"I don't understand why you helped him, but maybe you can explain it later. Now we gotta go help Goku, and Gohan." He said flatly. Raimi tried to walk unaided, but couldn't do it. She leaned on her angry friend, wincing at each step. When he stopped to gather little Gohan into his arms, she nearly fell over. They made their way slowly to Goku.BR  
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"Hey, I'm sorry, Kurilin. But, I think Raimi was right, we can't kill him. We'd be just like him... " Raimi raised her hand to stop him. Her fingers trembled from shock and exhaustion. They looked up at her as she spoke slowly.BR  
P  
"Kurilin, listen to what I have to say. Our friends are on the way to get the same training Goku got. I knew that they would be exempted, and I know something else. In less than six months time, we will need the training that they receive." She was lying, but only a little, to save the future. She was only telling Kurilin this because he needed to know that the deaths that had happened here were not in vain. "Also, we need Vegeta alive. When the menace that we will face surfaces, he will be excellent bait to distract Fri- The person who I know is our next challenge... " BR  
P  
"Another attack? When?" Goku gasped. His eyes were wide with alarm.BR  
"Easy, Goku! Not for a while! Let's see... today is November 3rd. I say in the spring." She was lying again, but why alarm then needlessly. "You are a Saiyan, and you'll be better in no time, and you'll be much stronger too. The others will be real strong as well, after being in ten times Gravity." He stared at her blankly, and then smiled, as he understood what she meant.BR  
P  
"Yosh!" He laughed. Raimi had never heard him say it before, and laughed herself at the familiar exclamation.BR  
"So, you let Vegeta go to use as bait for some new menace?" Kurilin asked. Raimi looked down at him and then looked away.BR  
"Yes. And no. I had to let him live, or I would have had to kill you. All of you." She admitted quietly. They were stunned, staring at her sad expression.BR  
"Kill us?! Kill us, why?" Goku asked, since Kurilin was speechless.BR  
P  
"Back on Vegeta-sei, after a Saiyan completed his off-world training, he might not know how to speak, how to survive in civilization, so to speak, because of his lack of normal education. The scientists developed a technique, called Immersion Therapy, which was used to "educate" these lost Saiyans. It could also be used to program behavior into you. I was initiated into the rank of Royal Guard, the same as Nappa; I was put into Immersion Therapy, though I didn't realize it until the Genki-dama." They watched her, fascinated by this story. Raimi leaned against a cliff face for support, hoping that Bulma and Chi-Chi arrived soon.BR  
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"When the Genki-dama hit him, I was too amazed to move, but when he was shot up into the sky, I had to restrain myself to not kill you right then, Kurilin. I realized why I felt that way, and only the knowledge that... " Raimi winced. Telling them that she'd known that the events that had just happened were fated, that the devastating injuries Goku had received, and all the pain they were feeling, was predestined was hard. "The knowledge that Vegeta would survive the hit saved you. I knew he would escape from here too. I'm sorry that I couldn't change anything, I really am, but it isn't my place to change destiny. King Enma was clear on that." Kurilin was staring at Goku, face hard with anger. Goku turned his eyes to Kurilins and looked just as serious.BR  
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"Kurilin, She's right, you know. You have to accept this stuff she says as true, even if it's not good to hear. Raimi is meant to help us, Enma and Kami told me so. I asked you to trust her before, and I still want you to, even if it's hard, Kurilin." Goku said softly. Kurilin looked up at her, and Raimi saw the pain in his eyes, the sadness that of all of the Defenders, he was the one left alive. Gohan was alive as well, but Kurilin had only escaped death because...BR  
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Because Raimi had caught him and shielded him from the blast that had killed Piccolo.BR  
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Raimi had saved his life, and he'd forgotten! He felt a blush of shame race over his cheeks. He couldn't meet her gaze from embarrassment.BR  
"I... I'm sorry Raimi. You did what you could, and you even saved me from Nappa. I guess it's just hard to face everyone after all this, and be alive while Yamcha and Tien... " He said quietly. Raimi shushed him gently.BR  
"Look, They are going to be back one day, I promise! And we will mend soon too. No one is going to mad at you for surviving this, Kurilin." She told him. Just then, they heard the whine of an engine.BR  
P  
"Oh, no, not him again!" Kurilin moaned. The shape above resolved itself into an air car, driven by Bulma, with Roshi and Chi-Chi hanging out the windows, waving madly at them.BR  
"Ah, at last, the cavalry!" Raimi sighed. As it set down, the door opened before it really touched ground, and Chi-Chi leapt out, racing towards them. Raimi stepped back slightly, and hid her smile at the other woman's anxious face.BR  
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"Chi-Chi!" Goku said happily, thinking she was worried about him, lying there all battered and bleeding. He was understandably stunned when she jumped right over him and screeched to a halt in front of Kurilin and Gohan.BR  
"Gohan! Gohan!!" She snatched the boy from Kurilins arms and laid him on the ground. "Wake up baby!! Wake up, mommy's here! Oh, my baby, what did they do to you?!" She grabbed him into her arms and kept trying to wake him up.BR  
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"Uh, Chi-Chi, Gohan is fine, really, it's Goku who's badly... " Chi-Chi turned to the ship, ignoring Kurilin. "Um, Chi-Chi... your husband?" Kurilin said, and then gave up. Raimi didn't though. She stepped into Chi-Chi's path and frowned at her.BR  
"Chi-Chi, I know you're concerned about Gohan, but he's fine. Goku is decidedly NOT FINE!" she said. Everyone looked at them in amazement, since no one EVER confronted Chi-Chi! Dead quiet fell over the group as the women stared at each other. Chi-Chi glared down at Raimi. BR  
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"My baby is injured and he's only five years old! Goku is a grown man! He dragged Gohan into this, he is to blame!" Chi-Chi snapped. Raimi shook a finger in Chi-Chi's face.BR  
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"Chi-Chi, that's bull! Piccolo brought Gohan here, not Goku; he was dead at the time! And for that matter, I watched him myself, like I swore to do. He is only bruised, not BROKEN like Goku is!" Raimi's voice rose in volume, and the last of her IKi/I flared around her. Weak as she was right now, she was still stronger than any human. Chi-Chi's jaw dropped in shock. "Now, then, I think you should show some concern for your husband, Son Chi-Chi!" Raimi turned and walked over to Bulma and Karin who stood next to the broken Goku. They began exclaiming over his obvious injuries, covering their astonishment at the dressing down Chi-Chi had just gotten. Roshi shook his head in wonder. No one should be alive after being hurt so bad... Or after facing Chi-Chi that way!BR  
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Chi-Chi looked down at her small heavy son, and then over at her husband. She noticed his sad eyes and felt ashamed of herself. He had just saved the world after all. She looked away, and swallowed heavily, and then turned back, but he had looked away...BR  
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"Oh, Goku, are you okay?" Bulma asked him. He smiled and tried to nod.BR  
"Yep... I'm okay, but the Saiyan... he got away... sorry guys... " He said, his voice weak.BR  
"Don't be sorry for such a victory." Karin said. Goku rolled his eyes up to see the fat white cat.BR  
"Oh, hi... Master Karin... " Kurilin walked back to the group now gathered by Goku.BR  
P  
"There's no way to describe power like his... B-Bulma, I'm sorry, but they got everybody but the five of us... including Yamcha... " he said gently. To his surprise, she smiled.BR  
"I thought so. But that's okay. We'll use the Dragonballs in a year and wish them all back!"BR  
"Um... " Kurilin didn't know how to break this to her.BR  
"... " Karin obviously didn't know what to say either.BR  
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"Right? I-I'm right, right?"BR  
"Bulma, I'm sorry... but Piccolo is dead... and so, well... the Dragonballs are gone... " Goku told her. Bulma's face froze into the expression that said, 'I'm not listening to you!'BR  
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"Oh, c-come on, this isn't funny!" She turned to Raimi, who was standing next to her now. Raimi's face was full of sorrow, and Bulma knew why, but couldn't believe it. She stood and grabbed Raimi's shoulders, not noticing the smaller woman wince in pain. "You said that five survived, so the other one must be Piccolo! Right!?" Just then, Yajirobei walked out and frowned at her.BR  
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"Oh, it does, does it?" He humphed at her, and she nearly fell in horrified shock. It cost Raimi a lot to catch Bulma, and help her to stand, but she did it. Raimi watched as her friend's eyes filled with tears, and felt again her own pain at the loss of her training mates, her friends.BR  
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"But... But... " Finally, Bulma burst into tears, her body shaking as she willingly fell to her knees. Raimi didn't dare to bend over her, and had to keep Bulma from hugging her in her grief. She looked up at Roshi helplessly.BR  
P  
"You knew?" He said to Karin, who nodded. Roshi sighed and looked down at his star pupil, broken by a power beyond their imagining.BR  
"I can't believe it... I just assumed that Piccolo was still alive too... " He said pensively, very serious.BR  
P  
"Hey, wait a minute! I almost get the feeling that you all wish it were ME who'd got killed! If I hadn't been here, these guys'd all be dead you know! Would a little thank you hurt?! Man!" Yajirobei said, pissed. He was right on both counts, but no one was in the shape to give him a medal...BR 


	48. XXXXVIII

"Enough, enough. We need to get these guys to the hospital. I have no more senzu beans, I'm sorry. I will try to force some to grow faster, though, okay?" Karin said. With that, Roshi bent and lifted Goku's shoulders, and Raimi went to his feet.BR  
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"Oh, no you don't! Get into that ship and sit down! You aren't lifting a cup of tea until you're looked at, hear me?" Karin said. Raimi and Goku blinked, but since he was third in command after Kami-sama and Mr. Popo, she did as he ordered. Yajirobei helped load Goku onto a stretcher and into the ship. Master Roshi took the controls, and they lifted off.BR  
P  
Bulma was still sobbing, with Chi-Chi cradling Gohan next to her, while Raimi sat in the back, near Goku, and across from Yajirobei. Kurilin was directing them to where the bodies of the others were lying under the starlit sky.BR  
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"A little more... yes, that way... " He pointed Roshi in the right direction, and they fell silent, Bulma's crying the only sound.BR  
"Bulma, please don't cry... I know that this is really unlikely... I mean it's only a slim chance... Don't get your hopes up, but there maybe a small possibility that we can bring them back to life after all... " Bulma sat up and gasped.BR  
P  
"Of course, I could be grasping at straws... " Kurilin mumbled.BR  
"You said something like that before... what did you mean, Kurilin?" Goku asked. Just then, Kurilin saw the place where the fight had begun.BR  
"Well, I'll tell you later. Master, this is the place where the bodies are... "BR  
P  
They let Bulma help with Piccolo and Tenshinhan, and there was nothing left of Chauzu; but Raimi was forced to help Kurilin and Karin to keep her away from Yamcha's battered body. Not even Kurilins assurance that he was in no shape to be seen would keep her away from him. She cried again as Raimi and Kurilin held her while Roshi and Yajirobei put him into the coffin like boxes they were using for the sad task. Suddenly she turned to Raimi and stared at her. Raimi wondered if she had a trademark anime sweat drop on her temple as she cringed under Bulma's gaze.BR  
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"You... You knew, didn't you?" Raimi nodded. "And will he come back?" Again Raimi nodded. Bulma smiled and slid one arm around Raimi's waist. "Well, then. You look awful! You shouldn't be standing out here, lets get you back onto the aircar." Raimi blinked in surprise as she was hustled back on board. She noticed that Bulma looked back over her shoulder as Yamcha's box was loaded and stored below deck.BR  
P  
P  
"I wish there was some way to bring them back... the sacrifices they made were so great... " Karin said softly, a little distressed purr in his voice. Roshi clenched s fist in very unchacteristic rage.BR  
"I feel so angry at myself... but I am nothing near the caliber of their powers... " he said as he looked at the coffins of his students. Bulma brushed by him, sniffing but looking better.BR  
"Hey, Roshi, go and cry your eyes out, it did wonders for me!" Roshi looked at her funny as she sat at the controls, and got going towards the hospital.BR  
P  
Raimi sat next to Goku, focusing fiercely on staying conscious. If Goku was awake, then she'd stay awake too! She hoped... She glanced over at Chi-Chi, who was stroking Gohan's hair and trying to peek over her shoulder at Goku. She thought that Chi-Chi was feeling guilty, but she'd never admit it. Raimi felt bad too about yelling at her, but she'd always felt that Chi-Chi was fifty percent of the problem in her and Goku's marriage. Still, he probably could defend himself, if he wanted too... She felt Goku touch her leg.BR  
P  
"THANKS!" He mouthed exaggeratedly. Raimi smiled and gently moved his hand back to the stretcher, since his arm was broken. He frowned and stopped her, looking at his fingers, which were stained red. He realized that her armored stretch suit was drenched in blood, and looked up at her. She shook her head.BR  
P  
"I'll live 'till we get to the hospital, so don't worry. Saiyans can accept any blood type, as I understand it, so I'll be right as rain soon enough. You are hurt much, much worse, you know." She whispered. He scowled at her, but made himself relax. There wasn't anything any of them could do until they got there anyway. Just then, Gohan stirred in Chi-Chi's arms.BR  
P  
"GO-HAN! You woke up!" she gasped loudly. The boy jerked awake, looking around wildly for Vegeta.BR  
"It's alright, Gohan! Mamma's here! Ohhh, my poor baaaaaby! You must have been so frightened, with that huge monster attacking you, and that big monkey!" Chi-Chi wailed, and Gohan stared at her.BR  
P  
"M-Mommy!!" he said, finally getting the fact that they were alive and well.BR  
"Gohan fought well. You should be proud, Chi-Chi." Master Roshi said. Chi-Chi wrinkled her nose, but smiled and nodded.BR  
"It's really over, Gohan! We did it!" Kurilin said. Gohan stared in amazement at his battle companion.BR  
"But, the Saiyan, he... "BR  
P  
"Well, he... he got away. But, we really showed him before he left! I bet he never wants to see Chikyu-sei again!" Kurilin turned to look at Raimi, who looked away, not wanting to say anything that would freak them out needlessly. Luckily Yajirobei piped up and tried to bet with Kurilin about Vegeta's intent to return.BR  
P  
"But, wait... Daddy! Where's Daddy!" Gohans voice rose in panic as he looked franticly for his father. Chi-Chi humphed as Goku called from his stretcher.BR  
"Behind you Gohan! I'll be fine, thanks to you!" he said, sighing with relief that his son was okay. Gohan scrambled out of Chi-Chi's arms and looked back at his father.BR  
P  
"Daddy!" Gohan laughed, and smiled hugely at Raimi as well. She smiled weakly, and sighed as Chi-Chi grumbled about Goku and Gohan being in danger again.BR  
"But Mom, the whole earth was in danger... " Chi-Chi waved the fate of the world away snapping that she'd warned Goku about letting Gohan fight, and ignoring Yajirobei's remark about smacking sense into one's wife to Goku.BR  
P  
"Kurilin, what were you about to say... about hope... " Bulma asked. Kurilin looked at her as he gathered his thoughts, and then smiled.BR  
P  
"Oh yeah! Well, it's like this... " he explained about how Vegeta and Nappa had heard of Dragonballs from Raditz scouter when Piccolo had taunted him, and recognized Piccolo as an alien form the Planet Namek-sei; and about how they intended to go there if Piccolo wouldn't tell them about the Dragonballs from Earth. There was stunned silence as the implications of this sank into everyone's brains.BR  
P  
"That's right! The Nameks have the powers to make magic balls!" Gohan said in the silence. Kurilin nodded.BR  
"If we could get to this Namek-sei... There just might be a set of Dragonballs there... " Kurilin said.BR  
P  
"... And then we could wish everyone back!" Karin said happily.BR  
"Piccolo can come back too!" Gohan said excitedly. Chi-Chi gaped at him in horror.BR  
"What are you saying Gohan!?" She squeaked. (Everyone ignored her.)BR  
"Yep, and if Piccolo comes back, then Kami-sama would too, and our Dragonballs would be restored as well!" Kurilin yelled happily. "It could work, it really could work!"BR  
P  
"Um, that's your big hope? Going to another planet? It's fantastic and impossible... " Bulma said listlessly. Kurilin protested, but she turned her sad eyes to him and he fell silent.BR  
"Kurilin, how will we even find this planet?" she asked. Kurilins face froze in stunned surprise. Raimi bit her tongue, and waited for Goku to speak, and he did, right on cue...BR  
P  
"Hey, leave it to me! I'll ask Kaio-sama, I think he'll know where it is!" he said. Everyone looked at each other in bafflement as he spoke in a strange voice. "Kaio-sama, I know you were listening, do you know where this Namek-sei is?"BR  
P  
"IPlanet Namek? Sure, I know where it is. Why do you think I am called the Lord of The Worlds/I?" Kai's voice said in every ones ears as if he were there with them. The startled passengers looked at each other in bafflement.BR  
P  
"Um, I can hear him too. This is a trick, isn't it?" Kame-sen'nin said chuckling nervously. Everyone shook their heads, indicating that they heard him too. Goku laughed in delight.BR  
"Lord of the Worlds, we are listening, please tell us what you know." He said.BR  
P  
"ILet me congratulate you, and all the others too! When you were injured so badly, I thought all was lost! I am very impressed/I." King Kai said. Goku sighed.BR  
"I just didn't expect him to have so much power. Not even the Kaio-Ken was much help against him."BR  
P  
"IWell, yes. Vegeta's power was a slight miscalculation on my part... okay a pretty big mess-up is more like it/I... " King Kai said unhappily.BR  
"Um, then... do you think I shouldn't have let him get away?" Goku said plaintively. Raimi rolled her eyes, and the rest of the party gasped in shock.BR  
P  
"IWell... Frankly, no you shouldn't have/I... " King Kai started.BR  
"Hold on, wait a minute! You aren't saying Goku let him go, as in let him go!" Roshi said. Kurilin sighed and promised to fill him in later.BR  
P  
"IYes, do that. But now, let us see about just where Namek-sei is... in Chikyu-sei terms, it seems to be bearing SU83, or, no it's 9045XY/I... " Bulma jumped in surprise and shock.BR  
"Did he say 9045XY?" She yelped. Kurilin stared at her.BR  
"Are you saying you know where that is, Bulma?" He asked. She whirled around and glared at Roshi.BR  
P  
"Hey, Turtle Lover, take the controls, would yah! I gotta do some calculating!" Roshi obediently took the wheel with a puzzled echo of "Turtle Boy?" under his breath. Bulma pulled a capsule from her "Gotta have it" wallet and opened her navicomputer. She typed like mad, growling about bad news.BR 


	49. XXXXVIIII

"INamek-sei was very much like a paradise once, but I seem to remember that it was the victim of a climatic cataclysm a long time ago… I had thought that the whole population was destroyed…/I " King Kai mused in the strained silence. "IHowever, the planet itself seems to be recovering. Still, I don't know if any of them could have survived/I."  
"Oh no, just great…" Kurilin sighed.  
P  
"Y'mean its no go? There's no more Dragonballs to get?" Yajirobei grumped. Kaio-sama chuckled at this.BR  
"INow now. Don't be so quick to give up. I'll just go check on the planet… now which way do I go to see it/I… " There was a pause. "IAh, this is the way. Lets see/I… "BR  
"I think I understand. Kami, or whatever his name really is… " Karin began.BR  
"His name is Piccolo." Raimi said dreamily, as the loss of blood finally got to her. They stared at her in surprise, and then Karin continued.BR  
P  
"Uh, yeah, he escaped the cataclysm, and then either forgotten it because he was too young, or lost his memory because of the trauma, how tragic… " Yajirobei looked confused at all this, and wanted to know why the Nameks didn't just use the Dragonballs to stop the disaster.BR  
"Nope, impossible. We got it straight from Shenlong's mouth. He can't grant a wish that surpasses the powers of the creator of the Dragonballs. What ever caused the cataclysm was too much for the Namekians. Which, incidentally, is also why we couldn't wish for Shenlong to just destroy the Saiyans." Kame-sen'nin explained to the fat samurai.BR  
"… And I thought Dragonballs were supposed to be so cool, what a bummer."BR  
P  
"IOh, dear L… I mean dear me! There they are! There are only about a hundred of them… but the survived and they're thriving again/I!" King Kai called. They jumped, and then smiled in relief at the good news. Well, Yajirobei actually was horrified by the thought of there being one hundred Piccolos out there, but the rest of them were happy.BR  
"IOh, don't worry, Nameks are a mostly peaceful people, like Kami-sama was. Piccolo Dai-moa was most likely corrupted by the humans he met in his life/I… " King Kai assured them.BR  
P  
"So… this means that… we can bring not only Kami-sama back to life, but Yamcha and Tenshinhan too?" Roshi asked. Bulma choose that moment to rain on the parade.BR  
"I do admire your optimism, but it's just not that easy." She said, fingers flying over the keypad of her tiny computer. There was a worried pause from the others. "We know where Planet Namek is, but now, how do we get there?" Her blue eyes bored into Kurilin's as she waited for the obvious response.BR  
P  
"Well, duh, in a spaceship, of course. Come on Bulma… " Kurilin said bravely. She glared and tore into him.BR  
"That's just it. I calculated the time of travel for a trip to Namek, using the fastest engines my dad's made… that would also be the fastest in the world. Any one want to guess how long it would take?" She turned and looked at Raimi. Raimi smiled and raised her hand obediently.BR  
P  
"I don't remember exactly… wasn't it around 4,000 years?"BR  
"4339 years and 3 months!! Hope you all have time to wait."BR  
"4000… " Gohan gasped, his hopes to see Piccolo again fading.BR  
"Um, Kaio-sama… what should we do?" Goku said plaintively.BR  
P  
"IWell… Hmmm… uh, that's an awfully good question, Goku/I… " King Kai said wearily. He didn't seem to have an answer though. No one did, except for Kurilin, that is. He laughed, and everyone jumped and scowled at him.BR  
"Hey why the long faces? We can still go! We'll just use the Saiyan spaceship!" Roshi gulped, worried that Kurilin's head was hurt worse than it looked.BR  
P  
"Um, the Saiyan space… But I thought Vegeta got away in it?"BR  
"Oh, yes, he did, but it was so tiny, that it hadda be built for one! That means the dead guys ship is still here somewhere!" Smiles were spreading over the long faces, and Raimi had to chuckle as she heard Goku mumble next to her.BR  
P  
"There is another isn't there… Yes, I bet it's still there somewhere! Gohan broke Raditz ship though… " Raimi was amazed at the logical thought process Goku was using as he was the only one to remember that HE'D been sent in one of those Saiyan craft as well, and it surely was still waiting for him to complete his mission and take off in it.BR  
P  
"But at least there is one left! If we can find it and analyze it, maybe we can use it or even duplicate it!" Bulma said, eyes sparking at the prospect of learning new technology and finding a way to get Yamcha back all at once…BR 


End file.
